Human Monster
by Kit Thespian
Summary: We know why Sephiroth became evil, but why did Hojo turn out the way he did? This is his story, from his arrival as new assistant to Dr. Gast, to his death... HojoLucrecia
1. A Good Man, Once

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian does not own the video game Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein, and she is not making money from this.

(Hojo walks in)

Hojo (grins evilly): Ooh, a story about _me_! Ha, ha, ha, haaaa!

(Vincent enters)

Vincent: I'm in it too!

Hojo (suddenly angry): Do all of us a favor and get lost in a Mako reactor, Neanderthal!

Vincent: Who're you calling 'Neanderthal', Captain Snicker?

(the two disappear into a cloud of dust and black hair)

Lucrecia (enters): Grow up, you two!

Vincent: He started it!

Hojo: _He's _jealous because I managed to make it to Kit Thespian's top five and _he didn't_!

Vincent: Am not!

Hojo: Are too! You didn't even make it to the top ten! She likes _Cait Sith_ more than she likes you!

Vincent: Shut up!

Hojo: Do you know the word, 'goober'?

Vincent: Do you know the word, 'Frankenstein'?

(Kit Thespian pops her head in)

Kit Thespian: Guys, this is supposed to be a _tragedy_, not a circus! Didn't you read the summary?

(Hojo and Vincent stop fighting; cloud of dust and hair disappears.)

Vincent: ...Oh, yeah.

Hojo: Sorry.

Kit Thespian: Sheesh...

_Author's note: This is a story of Hojo that could be considered a prequel to the fic "Up a Treehouse". However "Up a Treehouse" is a fairly lighthearted fic, whereas this one is a tragedy. It portrays the slow, horrific transition from a young, innocent Hojo to the Professor Hojo we all know and...well...love/hate. And another thing: this story does not coincide with either Advent Children or Dirge of Cerberus. It only goes with the canon game._

**Chapter One**

**A Good Man, Once...**

Hojo looked up at the new Shinra headquarters building and swallowed. A twenty-four year old Ph.D. fresh from college, he had expected to be sent to teach a college science class or perhaps work in a laboratory in a hospital, but not this. Of course, being the top of one's class has its rewards. He only hoped his motion sickness would not be revealed on the elevators.

He managed well on the first few elevators, but then he had to get onto a set of elevators that hung from the side of the building. Buildings had no right to be this tall. There were three other people on the elevator with him, so he could not risk embarrassment by becoming nauseous. He bit his tongue and tried to think pleasant thoughts. A successful experiment...Classical music...A perfect cup of coffee.

His stomach churned, _"No, don't think of coffee, whatever you do..."_

"Are you okay?" A lady asked. Hojo turned his head and saw a woman, a few inches shorter than himself, and quite lovely. She had dark brown hair, except for a few silver streaks. But she was obviously young, perhaps Hojo's age or younger.

"Why do you ask?" Hojo managed to ask in a perfectly normal voice.

"You look a little green. Not used to glass elevators?"

"Not really, no."

"Where are you headed to?"

Hojo pulled out his access card and looked. "The 68th Floor."

"That's where I'm going. Are you working for Professor Gast?"

"Yes."

"How long have you been here? I've never seen you before."

"This is my first day."

The girl's eyes widened, "Your first day and you're already assisting Gast? I've been here for three years and I've only just gotten to this position. You must be smart..."

Hojo shrugged and smirked, "My lucky day."

They reached the 68th floor. By this time, they were the only ones on the elevator. As they walked through the hall, they were greeted by a man with a brown mustache, shorter than Hojo, in a lab coat. He smiled at the woman,

"Lucrecia, how are you doing today? Nervous on your first day on the 68th floor?"

"A little," Lucrecia replied, "but ready." She said to Hojo, "This is Dr. Gast."

"And you..." Gast surveyed the newcomer, "must be Dr. Hojo, from the University. Am I correct?"

Hojo nodded, "You are."

Gast held out his hand for Hojo to shake. As Hojo took it, he noticed that Gast had a normal grip, not tight like his own. But though his grip wasn't very tight, he shook it a good deal. So, Gast was a weak person physically but with a strong will. Most scientists were.

"Come this way," Gast said, walking towards the room at the end of the hall. Hojo and Lucrecia followed him, but not without looking at each other one more time in silence before proceeding.

Lucrecia smirked, "_Doctor_ Hojo... You're not like the rest of them."

"What do you mean?" Hojo asked.

"Most doctors or Ph.D.s will walk right up to you and say 'I am _Doctor_ so-in-so,' with a heavy emphasis on the 'doctor'. It's like they're insecure about their authority."

"The professors in college were like that... Lucrecia is your name?"

"Yes. No 'Dr.'; just Ms. Lucrecia. You can call me Lucrecia."

"A lovely name." _Like you_.

"Thank you," Lucrecia smiled and blushed a little.

A few minutes later, Hojo was in the restroom, looking at himself in the mirror. It was plain to tell that Lucrecia had been blushing because of his attentions, and he just couldn't figure it out. He never could. He was by no means an attractive man. Science clearly dictates that females will react sexually to men who are aesthetically pleasing, and are more ready to reject men who aren't. Hojo saw himself in the latter category. With a tall forehead, a pointed chin, yellow eyes (he thought they were quite hideous) hidden behind glasses, a thin frame and short black hair with wild bangs that would never cooperate, all logic would suggest that Lucrecia should have paid him little attention in the elevator.

However, there was a certain unexplainable thing called charm. Hojo had grown up in a rich family, and his grandmother had told him that he had charm. Sometimes he would try several experiments with this idea "charm." The experiment would be to walk into a room where one or two girls were, and smirk in his usual way. The hypothesis would be that if he exhibited charm, the girls would divert their attentions from their activities and to him. The results were usually, much to his surprise, quite successful.

He had looked up charm in the dictionary: "A trait that fascinates, allures, or delights." And he, like now, had often studied himself in the mirror, trying to find that trait. Perhaps it wasn't in his appearance. Maybe it was his manner of speaking or his gait; that was feasible. His grandmother had told him that charm meant "making the men feel important, and making the women feel like ladies."

He could not say what his father's opinion had been on the subject, since he had never met him. He had never met his mother either, since she died in childbirth.

Hojo went back to the laboratory where Gast and Lucrecia were waiting.

Gast began his explanation of their assignment, "Only a year ago, Shinra discovered the benefits of Mako energy. It far exceeds electrical energy as you know. They've begun construction on major reactors for the city. Our task is this: to find how a human being can somehow be infused with Mako energy, and whether or not there will be physical benefits or destruction."

Lucrecia's eyes widened, but Hojo was fascinated with the idea. If they could find a way to infuse Mako into someone's genetic structure, a super-soldier could be created. Only in the building for an hour and already he was faced with new scientific delights.

Lucrecia commented, her voice full of concern, "But the latest studies show that Mako energy is quite unstable. We could poison many men in our attempt to find the right dosage."

"Sacrifices must be made for science, Lucrecia," Gast declared.

"With this technology, finding a correct dose shouldn't take much time," Hojo said.

Lucrecia didn't object any further, but she lowered her eyes.

"We start now," Gast said, "we will follow the traditional route: experimentation on laboratory specimens."

"Animal testing..." Hojo spoke, "Am I correct?"

"Yes."

"...Very well."


	2. It's not a date!

(Kit Thespian walks out on stage)

Kit Thespian: Our Disclaimer today will be presented by…

(Jenova walks, rather squirms onstage)

Kit Thespian (horrified): Whoa, _ugly_!

Jenova (hissing): Isss it _my_ turn to give the Dissssclaimer?

Kit Thespian (shaking): Uh, sure, Jenova, whatever you want.

Jenova: I don't _want_ to give the Dissssclaimer!

Kit Thespian: ...That's okay too! I can get someone else!

Jenova: Gooood… (slithers offstage)

Kit Thespian (sighs): Whew…That was the single most disturbing thing I've ever seen.

(enter Heidegger)

Heidegger: Hey, Kit Thespian, do you think this speedo makes me look fat?

(Horrified silence)

Kit Thespian (shielding eyes): Never mind. I was wrong.

**Disclaimer: **Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making money off of this.

**Chapter Two**

**It's not a date!**

"Ten degrees of Mako showed no effects, ill or good," Hojo read his notes out loud to Professor Gast after a day's work, "Twenty degrees produced the same results…"

Gast spoke, "Obviously we must try for a higher doses. That goes unsaid."

"How high is _too_ high, though?" Lucrecia said, "Laboratory rats are one thing, but a human being…"

"Is another. I know, Lucrecia," Gast interrupted, "We will take as many precautions as possible to make sure that our subjects don't get poisoned."

Lucrecia nodded and walked out of the room, taking her notes with her. Hojo and Gast stood in a strange silence for a moment.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Gast was smirking.

"What's so funny?" asked Hojo.

"Women are so tender, don't you agree?"

"...Well, she just has a lot of compassion, that's all."

"Compassion has little place in science. You will learn that eventually, Dr. Hojo. You cannot call the things you experiment on human or animal. To you, they must always be specimens."

Hojo did not reply, but tried to comprehend what exactly Gast was saying. It would seem by all accounts to be quite heartless and cruel. But, Hojo thought, who was he to argue with Dr. Gast? Dr. Gast was an older, wiser man than he, with years and years of working in the Shinra laboratories. Hojo had read many of his treatises on scientific studies, and working under Dr. Gast was more than the young professor could have ever hoped for at this time.

Hojo walked to the locker room where all of the scientists and technicians would place their labcoats and jumpsuits after a day's work. After removing his labcoat and hanging it up, he heard someone speak to him.

"Hey, you're the new guy, right? Haven't got a chance to meet you..."

Hojo looked and saw a young man about his age standing a few feet away. He was holding his hand out for Hojo to shake. As Hojo took it, the man said, "I'm Dr. Edward Rosem. I work in the physics department."

"Dr. Hojo."

"...That's it?"

"What do you mean, 'that's it'?"

"Well, what's your first name?'

Hojo suppressed a groan. He hated his first name. He hated it so much that he didn't even allow it to be placed on his ID. It was his father's middle name, and his mother, before her death, had insisted that he be called this. He thought it not only to be a ridicule that he should be named after the very man who abandoned his mother, but he also thought that it did not fit well with his last name. Hojo tried to evade the answer to Rosem's question.

"I don't use it very often," he said.

"Oh...Why not?"

"Because it is a ridiculous name and I despise it."

The calm, cool way that Hojo explained his disdain for his familiar name must have thrown Rosem's congeniality off course, because the physics expert stared at Hojo and blinked for a moment before replying,

"Okay..."

"You are fortunate to be blessed with a name like Edward. Kings were named Edward, and I am named for an adulterer. So there."

"Okay, okay!" Rosem put his hands up in surrender. He hadn't quite intended for the conversation to get that personal, "Sorry! I didn't mean to pry. I tend to get a little pushy sometimes; I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. I'll buy you a drink."

"I don't drink."

Rosem smirked, "Aren't you the scientific wonder? Surely you drink _something_."

"I really must be on my way. But I thank you for the invitation. Perhaps I can take you up on it sometime."

"Anytime, Dr. Hojo. Later!"

This Rosem seemed like a nice fellow. And though Hojo was annoyed at the initial prying, it was obvious that the man meant no harm.

Hojo left the locker room, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lucrecia coming. She had just come out of the women's locker room, wearing a dress. He had been working with her for three days now and this was the first time he had seen her out of her lab coat. She looked _very_ pretty. She was now waiting by the elevator. Then and there, Hojo decided that it was time for a new experiment.

Within a few moments, Hojo was at Lucrecia's side, saying,

"Good evening, Lucrecia."

Lucrecia looked and smiled at him, "Hey."

"What are you up to right now?"

She shrugged, "Just going home."

"Do you need someone to walk you to your vehicle?"

"I'd like that..."

To make a long story short (or _shorter_), it suffices to say that things didn't go exactly as Hojo planned. The usual results of his charm experiments resulted in the girl wanting to do everything for him. In fact, sometimes he would have to flee the girl's advances, not wanting to create a mess like his father did. Hojo's alluring way made all the men who knew him scratch their heads in puzzlement, wondering how on earth he did it.

But this time, his experiment backfired.

What Hojo hadn't been counting on was that perhaps Lucrecia had some charm of her own. Not a manipulating charm like Hojo would employ, but an enchanting charm that radiated from her without her even trying. And it wasn't only charm. She was a beautiful woman, and it seemed that every time Hojo saw her, she grew more beautiful. Sometimes, he had trouble concentrating on his work when she came into the lab.

Lucrecia wasn't stupid. She could see Hojo's growing feelings for her. It was evident in all of his actions, from his opening the door for her to seeing that she always got the first cup of coffee. Of course, he was a gentleman to women in general, but he put a little more heart into it when he did it for her. From that day on, he always walked her to her car.

It wasn't really brought into light to the rest of the world (not even Gast noticed, as smart as he was) until about ten days after. Dr. Rosem brought in some reports to the laboratory, and Hojo was talking with Lucrecia. Their conversation consisted of the results of the latest experiment, but their body language suggested things that were slightly different. To the untrained eye, it would appear that Hojo was simply leaning in to get a better look at Lucrecia's clipboard notes. But Rosem, though an extrovert, was not without a certain instinct concerning these matters.

After she was finished reading the notes, Lucrecia walked out of the laboratory, but not without stealing one more look at Hojo. Hojo watched her go, and watched, and watched. Rosem had to bite his lip to keep from laughing, and he said, mimicking a pilot,

"Yoo-hoo, planet to Hojo. Come in, Hojo. Are you there, Hojo?"

Hojo threw an annoyed glance at his friend and said, "What is it?"

"You, buddy ol' pal, are officially a _goner_."

"...Could you please specify in more scientific terms?"

"You want scientific? I'll give it to you. Men are generally more sexually activated by sight, while women are more activated by touch. You look at Ms. Lucrecia, and your eyes send signals to your brain, which processes the data. Your brain recognizes Ms. Lucrecia to be a very beautiful woman. Thanks to a fascinating hormone that a male's reproductive system produces called testosterone, the sight data stimulates the area of your cerebrum that promotes excitement. Your entire body is affected by this phenomenon, so your brain must send signals to your heart to make it beat faster to produce enough blood to make up for the oxygen depletion that your body is going through. The increased amount of blood goes to your head, and therefore your face, hence, you start to turn the color red. This phenomenon, I have noticed, has repeated in you several times, and only when you're around Ms. Lucrecia. This occurance is also always repeated in Ms. Lucrecia. Except, well...she has estrogen instead of testosterone, but the same results insue: Blood-rushing, or blushing, if you prefer. And there are other observations that I have made which are more of the mind than of the brain, which have been scientifically proven to be two separate things. Is that scientific enough, or shall I expound into further detail?"

"...No, I think you've made a sufficient explanation."

"Dude, have you asked her on a date yet?"

"No."

"Why not? She obviously wants you to."

Hojo could not find a rational reason not to.

"Very well," he said, "I'll ask her. But it is a _most_ unscientific thing to call it a _date_. It is not an entire day, nor is it a fruit. It is a dinner engagement."

Rosem bit back laughter and said, "Whatever you say, Dr. Hojo."

Hojo went into the hallway and met Lucrecia by the elevator, as usual. He walked her to her car, and as she was about to get it, he said, "Lucrecia, I was wondering if you would care to join me for dinner tonight?"

Lucrecia's eyes widened in surprise, but she answered amiably, "I would love to. Where do you want to go?"

"Um, Chapley's?"

"Do you want to meet me there? Seven-thirty?"

"All right."

As Lucrecia drove away, Hojo stood in a numb shock. Then he looked and realized that he was still wearing his lab coat. He sighed and went back into the building, heading for the locker room. When he got there, Rosem was standing in there, as were about five technicians and two professors. Rosem and a technician (a dark-skinned one) named Geko walked up to him and Rosem said,

"Hey, Hojo, are you busy tonight? We're going to go get something to eat..."

"Actually," Hojo said, "I do have a previous dinner engagement."

"With who?" Geko asked.

Rosem asked, smirking, "Hojo, don't tell me you've _already_ asked Lucrecia out to dinner. You're a fast mover!"

Geko's eyes widened considerably, "Lucrecia? Hojo, you got a _date_?"

"I don't prefer to call it a d..." Hojo never got to finish his statement.

"Hey, everybody!" Geko turned to all the other men (there were about fifteen in the locker room in all now), "Hojo's got a date!"

All eyes fell on the bespectacled scientist and even a few gasps were heard.

"A date?"

"Hojo?"

"He's datin' Lucrecia!" Geko exclaimed.

"I'm not _dating_ anybody..." but Hojo's protestations fell on deaf ears. A lot of the men were crowding around him now. Rosem was laughing to himself, despite many dagger-throwing looks from Hojo.

"How do you do it, man?"

"I've _never_ been able to get a date around here..."

"Lucrecia's so _pretty_..."

Hojo grabbed Rosem by the collar and hissed in his ear, "You got me in this mess. Get me _out_."

Rosem held up his hands and said, "No interviews today, gentlemen. Hojo needs to get ready for his date."

"It's not a _date_!" Hojo spoke through his teeth.


	3. An Excuse

(Kit Thespian enters the stage)

Kit Thespian: Review response!

Suzumi: Fangirlishly...? O.O Hey, whatever floats your boat... But I do like Hojo. He holds the #4 position on my FFVII favorites list.

HollowedShame: I'm so sick of all these Vincent/Lucrecia fics when it's obvious in the game that Lucrecia picked Hojo. Thanks for the review!

Lone Gunmen: Thanks. The title "Human Monster" means someone (in this case, Hojo) who in all appearances seems a monster, but really was simply a human being with horrid flaws. You know, excepting Jenova, I think all the villains in FFVII are "human monsters."

Foxy Blondie: Glad you feel sympathy for the ol' Hojo...

seasonofthepumpkin: Thank you! I do my best. Hey, I like your Hojo fics too! Good stuff. Want to guess what Hojo's first name is? (it's not Simon. Sorry)

Sulphurya: Skilled? Really? O.O Thanx!

**Disclaimer: **Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII, nor the characters therein. And she is not making any money off of this.

**Chapter Three**

**An Excuse**

"So," Lucrecia said, fingering her silverware, "what do you like to do in your spare time?"

Hojo did not know exactly how he should respond to this question. "Nothing very interesting, if that is what you wanted to know," he answered, before taking a sip of water.

"Well, I really just wanted to know what you do, whether you think it's 'interesting' or not," Lucrecia smirked.

"I eat, sleep, read, and look over notes."

"What do you read?"

"Science books, treatises...But every once in a while I'll pick up a science fiction novel to get a good laugh. The characters become the funniest whenever they attempt to be serious."

Lucrecia laughed, having to cover her mouth from showing the bite of food she was chewing on. Hojo asked,

"What do you care to do?"

"In my spare time at home? Sit around in my loungewear, eat chocolate, and read romance novels."

"Chocolate... I have plans in the future to research why exactly women have such an affinity to chocolate. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said, '_Step away from the chocolate and no one will get hurt_.'"

"...I own that t-shirt."

"Really?"

"That, and one that says '_No coffee, no talkie_.' Do you have any crazy t-shirts?"

"Most of my shirts have no text on them."

Lucrecia grinned, "I'm going to get you a crazy t-shirt, one of these days. And it's going to be perfect for you."

"If you can find one like that, I'll gladly accept it." _Coming from you, that is._

Their evening went on undisturbed, and Lucrecia looked at the restaurant's dance floor, watching the couples dancing for a moment, and said, "Do you dance?"

"...No." Hojo had always thought such a thing to be quite frivolous, and never really saw the point in it.

"Why not?"

"_Why_?" Hojo replied.

"Dancing isn't just getting up there and doing motions; it's an excuse."

"An excuse for what?"

"Dance with me and I'll show you."

Hojo stared at his date (forgive me, _dinner engagement associate_) with a raised eyebrow for a moment. Several moments, actually. Lucrecia patiently waited for a while. When it seemed like Hojo wasn't going to make any movements, she spoke up.

"...Is this a no?" she asked.

"I'm thinking about it..."

"I think you think too much. We don't have to dance if you don't want to."

"No, no...Why don't we?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

It is perhaps common for any man who doesn't dance very often to feel somewhat sheepish about going onto a public dance floor to dance in front of a restaurant full of people. Now, imagine a man who had never really danced before in his life with a woman who he already felt romantically inclined towards (thus, a _little_ shy towards), and who, though not lacking a certain charm, was not so thrilled about dancing in general. However, one must suppose that Hojo was driven by curiosity as to what exactly dancing was an excuse for, for that was the first thing he mentioned when they got to the floor.

"Now, what exactly do you mean by excuse?" he asked.

"When they start the next song, I show you."

"That's one thing that intrigues me: you'll _show_ me. Show me what?"

"You'll see, Hojo," Lucrecia giggled.

The music began to play, and a crooner started singing a love song.

"Okay, here's what the dancing is an excuse for..." Lucrecia moved to where she was considerably closer than the standard "personal space" of three feet. She took one of Hojo's hands and placed it around her waist. Then she put one of her hands around his shoulder. She clasped his free hand in hers. She set her gaze on his eyes and didn't look away.

"Oh," Hojo tried to sound logical to cover up the fact that he was extremely nervous, "I see now. An excuse for _this_."

"Yep," she murmured, "We're supposed to sway now."

"I know."

"...You're a good dancer..." said Lucrecia.

"Thank you."

Lucrecia shifted her head so that her forehead accidentally brushed against Hojo's lips. He didn't flinch at the touch. Instead he did something that from another person's perspective would have seemed totally against his nature. He pulled Lucrecia closer to him until her chest was pressed against his. And of all things more amazing, she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she wrapped her arm further around him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

In the bar in the corner of the restaurant, doing a little mischievous espionage, Dr. Rosem sipped on a virgin margarita and nearly choked when he saw the interaction between his two fellow scientists. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own two eyes.

_"It's official now. She actually **likes** him!"_ Rosem thought, _"How **does** he do it?"_

The song ended. Oblivious to their hidden spy, Hojo and Lucrecia slowly let go of each other and stood in an embarrassed silence before Hojo took her hand and lead her back to their table.

Later, Hojo was giving the money for the check to the waiter when his PHS rang.

"Who could that be?" Lucrecia raised an eyebrow.

"Probably Dr. Gast," Hojo replied, and answered the phone, "Dr. Hojo...Yes...? ...I see. We'll be there in a minute...Oh, she's with me... Having dinner... Yes, _together_... Chapley's, why...? ...What's so funny...? ...I don't exactly like what your tone of voice is suggesting, Doctor... Look, we'll be there in a moment..." Hojo pushed the off button and put his PHS away.

"Was it Dr. Gast?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"He said we had better come to the laboratory and at once."

_68th floor at Shinra Inc. Headquarters..._

Hojo and Lucrecia were careful to get their lab coats from the locker rooms before going to the floor where Dr. Gast was located. The lab was frighteningly darker than it usually was. Hojo didn't like the look of it at all, especially when he spied Gast's lone figure standing alone in front of a control panel.

"Doctor, what are you...?" Lucrecia's question was silenced by Gast holding up a hand.

"Come here..." he whispered.

Hojo walked towards his boss without any reserve while Lucrecia nervously inched along behind him.

"President Shinra wasn't exactly thrilled with our 'lack of progress' as he calls it, so he had me do this..." Gast gestured towards the immense glass cage in the middle of the room and pushed a button that activiated an elevator that connected to the hidden cages below. As the elevator rose, Gast explained, "This used to be a stray dog from the animal shelter and it has been completely infused with Mako energy at one hundred and eleven degrees..."

"One hundred and eleven?" Hojo's brow furrowed, "At that dosage, one can hardly expect the thing to live."

"What did it do to it?" Lucrecia asked, trembling a little.

Gast sighed, "See for yourself."

The elevator reached the glass cage, revealed a hellish beast with contorted, crystalline features. It's legs were like ruby gems, and the rest of its body was as blue diamond. It's teeth were enlarged and sharp as razors. The horrid screech it emitted sounded like a choked wail. It writhed on the floor as if in agony.

Lucrecia was horrified, but Hojo moved closer to the cage to get a better look.

"So..." he said, "this is what happens when too much Mako is infused," he turned to Gast, "should we destroy it or test it?"

"As long as we have it, we might as well test it."

"Oh, you two are horrible!" Lucrecia was in tears.

Gast scoffed, "You knew we would have to do something like this sooner or later, Lucrecia. You have to accept the consequences of your job."

Lucrecia bit her lip, and then gingerly walked forward and joined Hojo in front of the glass cage. As if to ask for protection, she slipped her hand in his. Gast's attention was solely drawn to the specimen.

"Now, we will use eighty degrees on another specimen," he said, "tommorrow."

Gast returned the beast to its hidden cage a few moments later.

_A/N: The plot thickens. Hey, anyone want to guess Hojo's first name? Any suggestions on what kind of crazy t-shirt Lucrecia should give him?_


	4. Birthday Presents

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making any money off of this.

Review Response!

Sulphurya: No matter how hard I try, I always managed to put a ridiculous or awkward situation even in my "serious" stories. It must be my nature. But I'm glad that I managed to put in a goodly amount of angst. (breaks out the streamers) KIT THESPIAN MANAGED TO KEEP IN ANGST! YAY!

Lone Gunmen: Hojo/Lucrecia fics are sadly missed. I honestly don't think there is much in the game to support Vincent/Lucrecia. In the flashback, it looked like she didn't want to have anything to do with him. And at the waterfall, she didn't want him to come close. There was no, "I missed you, Vincent." or "I wish we could've..." or anything like that, so I wonder just how much she liked him, if at all. All she wanted to know was if Sephiroth was all right.

Foxy Blondie: I'm glad you like the idea. Nobody's BORN evil.

Suzumi: You...love...Hojo. Oo. Hey, it's all good. He's charming and all and has an overall mystique about him. It's all good.

Crystelle: You're way off. Those were all GREAT names ('cept maybe Judas). I'll give all of you a hint: Hojo's first name is so obvious that you'll wonder why you didn't think of it before. The t-shirt selection is based off one of your ideas, by the way.

edwardmorte: GASP! Another fellow Hojo fan! You rock! Thank you for the compliment. All of the other Hojo fics are the same: a mindless, perverted monster who was born with an evil gene and feels nothing towards Lucrecia and thinks of Sephiroth as a lab rat. Now, I think he got a really good eccentric gene, but not an evil one. And oh so charming. (snicker) No, his dad's not Shinra, but I'll give you a hint (or you could just go read "Up a Treehouse" and it'll be given away): Who his dad is is not so important as who his half-brother is...

**Chapter Four**

**Birthday Presents**

After using eighty degrees on the new specimen, it produced promising results. Strength and stamina were raised and it seemed to put the specimen on a rush. But it was a euphoric rush. Gast was perfectly comfortable with letting the thing out of its cage and placed on a leash. However, Hojo was the one that was supposed to walk it around. Not one to disobey an order, Hojo relented, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the creature didn't jerk him around, but instead just walked in front of him like a good dog.

"See, Lucrecia?" Dr. Gast said to his female assistant as Hojo walked the retriever to the testing treadmill, "It only takes the right dosage to produce the perfect result."

Lucrecia smiled at the dog, who was behaving as a normal dog should: wagging its tail, panting with its tongue hanging out, etc. She wrote down all the details on her notepad while Dr. Gast stood at the controller for the treadmill and pushed the start button.

"Start him slow..." Hojo said, still holding onto the leash.

"I have no intention of hurting him, Professor," Gast said.

"If he falls backwards off of this thing, guess who is going with him? I don't want an early death."

Gast did not respond but turned the speed to 5 mph. The dog trotted merrily along. Over the next few minutes, the speed gradually increased to 40 mph, and the dog was not letting up. It ran and ran. Hojo was curious to see just how the specimen could hold out, but at the same time, he didn't want it to suddenly stop, fly back, and nearly jerk Hojo's arm out of its socket and send him crashing to the floor.

For five minutes, the specimen was able to run 40 mph.

"Incredible..." Lucrecia murmured.

Gast steadily slowed the treadmill down and Hojo took the exhausted specimen back to its cage. After shutting the door, Hojo turned to find Lucrecia approaching the cage. She leaned down and started to talk in a sing-song manner.

"That's a good doggy," she said, grinning, "what a good, good doggy."

"Oh, boy," Hojo rolled his eyes.

"What?" Lucrecia put her hands on her hips, "Just because I'm giving him a little deserved praise for being such a good doggy doesn't mean that you should ridicule me. He could've dragged you all around the room and back," she turned back to the specimen and spoke directly to it, "but he was a good little poochie, yes he was, yes he was..."

Hojo chuckled while Gast shook his head. They were both beginning to realize that there was probably no way that they could ever break the compassionate streak in Lucrecia. It was not only her nature as a woman, but just a part of her.

In fact, Hojo never wanted that part of her to go away. He could find it within himself to be cold against his test subjects, and he found that while he was in that state, it was rather wonderful to have someone there to pull him out of it again. Lucrecia always seemed to remind him to respect life. Gast constantly ignored her behavior, dismissing it as weak. Hojo thought it to be rather noble, since it was so hard for him to react to things the same way that she did.

The President was immensely pleased with the results of the latest experiment. The three scientists' next job was to find a way to inject Mako into humans and get the same results. You see, every procedure was modified to a specific DNA structure by formula. Any one mistake in the new formula could prove disasterous. The first formula had taken weeks to develop, and this formula would be no different. In fact, Gast estimated at least two months before the next formula would be ready.

It was during these next two months that Hojo's twenty-fifth birthday came around. His grandparents had not celebrated his birthday very grandly when he was growing up, so he really wasn't expecting anything. His grandparents were dead, and he had only non-chalantly mentioned to Dr. Gast and Lucrecia that his birthday was in the three days.

The morning of his birthday, Lucrecia and Dr. Rosem greeted Hojo by the elevators.

"We've got a couple of surprises for you," Lucrecia took Hojo's arm as the three entered the elevator.

"Surprises?" Hojo raised an eyebrow, "What for?"

"For your birthday, silly. It _is_ your birthday, isn't it?"

"Well...yes..."

"Can't have a birthday without presents, buddy ol' pal," said Rosem, slapping Hojo on the back, "At least, not while _I'm_ around, you're not."

Hojo was still in a state of shock when Lucrecia and Rosem led him into the staff lounge. They were the only ones in the room. Lucrecia walked out, saying that she would return shortly. Hojo turned to his friend.

"Does this mean that you and Lucrecia have gotten me _presents_?"

"Yeah!"

"...I don't know what to say."

"Save it until you've opened the presents. It's still up for debate between Lucrecia and myself whether or not you'll like what you see."

Hojo decided not to question further. Lucrecia reentered the room carrying two packages. She and Rosem watched with tense, silent anticipation as Hojo took the one from Rosem and started to open it. The silence was unnecessarily lengthened by the fact that Hojo was trying to unwrap the paper carefully, fold by fold. Both Lucrecia and Rosem were patient sorts, but Rosem couldn't stand it anymore.

"_Gosh_, Hojo!" he whined, "Just rip it open. The suspense is killing me!"

Hojo finally opened the package to reveal a compact disc. He was relieved to find that it was Ottorino Kalgraria, a famous classical composer.

"Lucrecia said you like that stuff," Rosem said, "So, I figured, 'what the heck'?"

"Thank you...Thank you very much..." Hojo placed the CD aside and started to unwrap Lucrecia's package.

"Here we go again," Rosem looked at his watch and said to Lucrecia, "You think I can a burger in the time it'll take him to open your package?"

"Rosem!" Lucrecia scolded, though with a smirk on her face as she watched Hojo. She thought the ginger way he opened his package was rather cute.

Hojo unwrapped the gift and held it up in front of himself with a very funny look on his face. It was a black t-shirt, and on the front it said, _"Insert coffee or face insanity."_ And on the back it read, _"In five...four...three..."_.

It didn't take Hojo a moment to process the exact meaning of the humorous script, but it did take him a moment to get over the shock of receiving a silly shirt. Then something happened that had not occurred to Hojo for a very long time.

The muscles in his face tightened, and he threw back his head and laughed. As a matter of fact, he laughed so hard that his sides hurt. Rosem was surprised (to say the least) to see the "stiff" Professor Hojo enjoying a good belly laugh, but Lucrecia was delighted. She laughed too and her face glowed.

"You like it?" she asked, amidst her chuckles.

"It's a..." Hojo stopped to laugh a little more, then he continued, "It's a keeper, I must say. I shouldn't wear it to work, though. It could cause serious reprecussions."

_That night..._

Gast kept Hojo and Lucrecia overtime. At five o' clock, Rosem stopped by the lab to say "See you tommorrow," but Gast wasn't finished yet. After an additional three hours of mathematical calculations and scribblings on notebook paper, Gast was finally ready to call it a day. It was long past twilight and the stars were out when Hojo walked Lucrecia to her car, with his new shirt on his shoulder and his CD in his coat pocket. Funny though, that I mention the stars were out. In the city you couldn't see the stars very well.

Right before they reached her car (one of three on level three of the lonely parking lot; Hojo's was on the other side), Lucrecia looked up at the sky and stopped. She sighed in awe. Hojo tried to find what she was gazing at, but he didn't find anything special.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The moon..." Lucrecia cooed, "It's beautiful."

Hojo saw the moon, and it looked the same to him as it always did: a large, white sphere set in the sky, spinning around the planet. In fact, he could tell Lucrecia the exact calculations of the moon's orbit, its rotation, and how far away it was from the Planet at a certain time of the year. He searched her face, and wondered what was so glorious about the moon that it could invoke such a beautiful expression.

The moon was a non-living thing, a satellite of the Planet, and yet it had managed to bring such tenderness from Lucrecia that it doubled her beauty, taking Hojo's breath away. He was overcome with a desire to bring such emotions out of her himself. He wanted to please her, and for her to adore him, like she was adoring the moon just now.

_"If I could only...Lucrecia..."_ Hojo's thoughts ran as he reached over to Lucrecia's face and brushed a finger against her cheek. She turned her attention from the sky, surprised but not unpleased. Her green eyes were silently questioning him, and instead of shyly pulling his hand away as he probably would have done before, he softly brushed the hair on the back of her head.

He tried to ignore the tightness in his chest and throat, and said, (feeling rather foolish, but going through with it anyway) "Lucrecia...You are beautiful. You're the most beautiful woman I know," He then took his hand away and averted his eyes. Lucrecia stared at him, looking puzzled. He stuttered, "I only wish I...we..." He shook his head and started to walk away, "I'm sorry; I'm being ridiculous. Good night, Lucrecia..."

"Hojo, wait!" Lucrecia went to Hojo and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and found her standing right in front of him, a little close for comfort. She cupped his face in her hands and said, "Hojo, I didn't know...I mean, I knew that you liked me, but I didn't know that you cared..._so_ much. And you _do_ care. I can see it in your eyes." She put her hands on his shoulders, "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't be scared..."

She stood on her toes and kissed Hojo on the cheek. It wasn't a peck, either. It was a gently put, warm kiss. After she finished, she said, "I feel the same way about you..." She leaned her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He looked down at her, and at the same time, she glanced up and their eyes met.

It was a perfect moment. Moments like these came along only once in a while, so they both decided to take advantage of it. Lucrecia embraced Hojo's neck and kissed him fully on the lips. Hojo rubbed his hands along Lucrecia's back, and then caressed her hair.

It has long been debated whether or not Hojo would have asked Lucrecia to marry him then and there if it weren't for a slight interruption.

"Excuse me..."

Lucrecia jerked away from Hojo, her lips still puckered a little from the kiss. Hojo looked and saw their boss standing about thirty feet away.

"I didn't mean to intrude," Dr. Gast said, "but it's difficult not to notice the couple in the parking lot."

"Dr. Gast, I...I mean, we..." Lucrecia's face was as red as a beet.

Hojo knew that Lucrecia was scared to retort to her boss, for fear of risking his anger and therefore her post at Shinra Inc. But he was hardly afraid of Gast.

"Lucrecia and I have feelings for each other," he said, "That is not a crime, Professor."

"Hmph..." Gast started to walk away, "Good night, Doctor."

Hojo didn't dignify him with a response as he turned to Lucrecia.

"Don't be afraid of him," he whispered.

"I think I should go now..." she murmured; then she looked up, smiling coyly, "See you tommorrow, Hojo."

Hojo leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, "Tommorrow." He looked up, "You know, now that I think about it, the moon does look quite beautiful tonight...Quite beautiful..."


	5. Young Promises

(Kit Thespian walks in, Hojo follows)

Kit Thespian: You see, Hojo, the point of this story is to tell everyone how weren't always such a bad guy.

Hojo: But I like being a bad guy. It's fun.

Kit Thespian: As fun as being married to Lucrecia?

Hojo: Um...

Kit Thespian: Didn't think so.

Hojo: What about all of my maniacal experiments?

Kit Thespian: Don't worry; you still get to do 'em.

Hojo (grinning madly and rubbing his hands together): And I still get to operate on that stooge?

Vincent (calls from offstage): Hey, I heard that!

Hojo: Who cares if you heard it? You _are_ a stooge!

Vincent (angrily): What?

Hojo: You heard me! A _stooge_! _And_ a moron! _And _a egocentric imbecile!

Vincent (approaching): Why, I oughta...!

Kit Thespian (groans): Here we go again.

**Disclaimer: **Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making any money off of this.

**Chapter Five**

**Young Promises**

Things were different from that night on, quite different. Now that Gast knew about the romance, there seemed to be little point in keeping up pretenses. It wasn't that Gast disapproved of the match. In fact, he encouraged it in his own way. It was a little confusing for Hojo. For a man who seemed to dislike the more tender feelings, Gast was one of his biggest cheerleaders. Now,Gast wasn't as obvious about it as Dr. Rosem. Then again, _nobody_ was as obvious about anything as Rosem was.

It was rather embarrassing, really. He hated the teasing, and it made him extremely angry. But the easy way that Lucrecia handled the situation helped a good bit. One day, after a small round of teasing, Gast had left the laboratory and a red-faced Hojo. Hojo probably would have thrown a kleenex box at his boss' head if Lucrecia had not stopped him.

They eventually developed the formula for injecting the proper amounts of Mako into human beings. Their first test subject was Tamrelan, a captain in the Shinra armies, and the General's most likely successor. Hojo had to appreciate the man's resolve. There was never any fear in his eyes for one moment, not even when they pricked him with the needle.

The results were to come the next day. As important as this experiment was, it was the furthest thing from Hojo's mind at this time.

"Lucrecia...will you marry me?"

Hojo was standing in front of the bathroom mirror in the HQ building, practicing. He had the ring box in his pocket, and was miming opening it while he practiced.

He was saying the intended question over and over, in every which way, "Lucrecia, will you _marry_ me? ...Lucrecia, will _you_ marry _me_? Lucrecia, will you..."

"Dr. Hojo?" Gast spoke as he entered the bathroom, "what on _earth_ are you doing?"

Hojo hid his startlement and found that he could not find a proper answer.

"...You know what they say about people who talk to themselves, Professor," Gast said.

"I know, Dr. Gast. I wasn't talking to myself. I was...rehearsing."

"Rehearsing what?"

"Er..." Hojo pulled the ring box out of his pocket as an answer. Gast looked at it, wide-eyed, and then started to laugh.

"Hojo, _you_? But really, I'm happy for you. When are you going to ask her?"

"...Whenever I ask her."

"That seems like a good time."

Just then, Dr. Rosem entered the restroom. When he saw the ring box in Hojo's hand, he went ballistic.

"Hojo! You gonna ask Lucrecia to ma...?"

"Sshht!" Hojo hissed, "Will you keep it down?"

"Oh," Rosem covered his mouth, "sorry... But are you?"

"Yes."

"Geez, what took you so long?"

Hojo raised an eyebrow, "So _long_? I've only known her for four months."

"Hey, that's long nowadays."

"You're not to say a word to anyone until after the fact, is that understood?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die..."

_In the parking lot..._

"Do you think the results will be better or worse this time?" Lucrecia asked Hojo as they walked towards her car. Again, they were perfectly alone.

"Um...I don't know," Hojo answered.

"Hojo, are you okay? You've barely said anything."

"...I'm not a talkative person, Lucrecia."

"I know, but...you seem worried. Is anything wrong?"

"Er, no, nothing's wrong."

"Then what is it?"

"Lucrecia..." Hojo stopped walking. Lucrecia halted as well, waiting for what he had to say with a concerned look on her face.

For the first time in his life, Hojo was paralyzed with fear. He knew that Lucrecia would be willing to wait all night for something that he had to say if he deemed it important enough, but he didn't know if _he_ would last that long. How would he initiate the subject? How would he ask her? What would she say?

But deep in his heart he knew that she would say yes. And she would say it with such a glow in her eyes, that it would shame the moonlight itself. It was the thought of seeing this look on her face that gave him the resolve to do this...

_At a glass window..._

Rosem and Gast peered out towards the parking lot. They saw the couple standing by Lucrecia's car.

"Bet you five he chickens out," Rosem said.

"I don't gamble...not with money," Gast answered, "But this could be very interesting."

"Omigosh..._he's doin' it_!" Rosem nearly screeched with excitement when Hojo pulled out the ring box and got down on one knee. The two didn't need to be able to read lips to know what Hojo was asking at that moment. Lucrecia gasped as her eyes became as wide as saucers and she put her hands to her face.

"Now, will she say 'yes'?" Rosem spoke, in a sports commentator voice, "Will...she...say...yes...?"

They could hear the extreme volume of Lucrecia's squeal (which may have also been the word 'yes') as she literally jumped on Hojo, sending them both tumbling down to the pavement. After they were both able to collect themselves, Hojo managed to put the ring on Lucrecia's ready and waiting finger.

"Hey, she said 'yes'!" Rosem said.

"You think?" Gast chuckled, "Somebody's coming to work with a sore bum tommorrow."

_The next day..._

The results of Captain Tamrelan's Mako treatments were similar to the canine's, but better. The President was so pleased that he considered giving the three scientists a medal. He had them come into his office to personally give them their next assignment. Hojo tried to stand as still as possible without wincing at the pavement scrapes on his rear. Lucrecia tried not to look at her engagement ring.

They stood in a row, Gast, Hojo, and Lucrecia, in front of the President's desk. He grinned before saying,

"Your next big assignment will be in Nibelheim, three months from now."

"If you don't mind my asking," Gast said, "why three months?"

"Preparations have to be made before you come," Shinra answered, "A new organism has been discovered by our scanners in the snow cap areas. As soon as it is moved to our facility in Nibelheim, we will be ready for you and your assistants to begin your work. Oh, and one more thing: I will send one of my Turks to accompany you on this assignment."

"One of your Turks?" Gast raised an eyebrow.

The Manufacturing Department in Administrative Research, a.k.a. the Turks, was known for dirty work and espionage. This had to be a fairly important project if the President felt the need to send one of _them_ along. The thought of having one of those goons breathing down their necks sent chills up the scientists' spines.

"Just for your safety," Shinra said, "this is top secret, so you will discuss it with no one, not even amongst yourselves."

And that was that.

_One month later..._

Hojo and Lucrecia had decided on a small wedding, since Lucrecia had no family and the only family that Hojo had was a half-brother whom he had never met. A few of their friends attended, Gast and Rosem included, and the new couple was just as happy as if their wedding had been in a cathedral with hundreds of guests (Hojo was happier simply because it _was_ a small wedding).

Since there was the unspoken threat of death between Hojo and his best friend if the latter cracked any "wedding night" jokes, Rosem simply wished the couple many blessings and kept his mouth shut otherwise, though he was sorely tempted. But he did raise a toast to the bride and groom and publicly wished them a long, happy, and healthy life together.

During the month's preparation, there had been a big question hanging in the air as to where Hojo and Lucrecia were to spend their honeymoon. Lucrecia had suggested Costa Del Sol, a beach resort, but Hojo's objection was that he (as gaunt as he was) did not wish to be seen in a swimming suit.

"_I_ wouldn't mind you in a swimming suit..." Lucrecia had coyly said.

"I know _you_ wouldn't, but I don't really want the general _public_ to see me in a bathing suit."

The next suggestion was the Gold Saucer, but Hojo said that his grandparents loved to gamble, so he spent a lot of time there during his childhood. There was activity everywhere and never a moment's peace. The hotel there was a haunted mansion, and he seriously doubted that Lucrecia would want to spend her wedding night in a inn that had a hanging man for a receptionist. Lucrecia had never been to the Gold Saucer, so when she heard about the hangman and the maniacally laughing cabinets, she quickly agreed that that was not the place to go. Hotels like that could easily spoil a romantic mood.

That came down to another choice: Icicle Village. Hojo could not find any reason to object to this spot. It was cold there (that gave him an excuse to wear a lot of clothes), remote (Hojo liked quiet), and beautiful (Lucrecia would love it). Lucrecia had never been there, she said, but she loved snow.

"Well, if you love snow," Hojo had answered her, "Then you will adore the place."

When they got there, it was near evening, and the street lamps were lit. They put a lovely glow into the snow that Lucrecia would venture to call "magical." It was the less busy time of the year, so the inn was not only cheaper but much more peaceful. The innkeeper took one look at the couple, and thought to himself, _"Here come newlyweds...Time to get out the '**Do not disturb' **sign..."_

Much later on that night, when Hojo was starting to drift off to sleep, he heard his wife murmur, "I love you..."

His eyes popped open. He looked at Lucrecia in astonishment; he had never heard anyone say those words to him before. He had not been able to bring himself to say them, even after they were engaged. Lucrecia's face was dimly lit by the fireplace light, and she was looking up at him adoringly.

She laughed, "Why that face?"

"...Say it again."

"I love you."

He pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the neck, "Again..."

"I love you. Do you love me?"

"Yes..." Hojo looked at her eyes, "I love you...I've never said it to anyone before, not even my family. And you're the first person...to say it to me."

"Oh..." Lucrecia's brow furrowed, but then softened, "then I'll never forget to say it to you. Every day, if necessary. I'll never stop loving you."

"Do you really mean that?"

"With all my heart! Why would you think I wouldn't mean it? It is because of...your family?"

Hojo didn't respond, and Lucrecia took that as a positive answer.

"Well..." she continued, "don't doubt that I love you. Never doubt it; not for one moment."

"I won't."


	6. At last we meet

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making any money off of this.

**Chapter Six**

**At last we meet...**

Two months after Hojo and Lucrecia's wedding, it was time to start heading for Nibelheim. They would meet the Turk assigned to them in Junon. They weren't even told the Turk's name until they met him. It was a day's journey to Junon, and nighttime when they got there. While the three scientists waited in the elevator to go from the village to the city, Lucrecia leaned her head on Hojo's shoulder in weariness.

Hojo was a night owl, so he was a little more aware of what was going on than Lucrecia. He remembered going to Junon with his grandparents to catch the ferry to Costa Del Sol. Junon was a polluted town, made so by the factories that produced healing potions and liquids that cured ailments and oddities. There were merchants standing in the doorways of their shops, beckoning hopeful customers to come buy their wares. The wares varied from weapons, to accessories, to personal items, and even prostitutes.

Hojo never liked Junon. He couldn't wait to put his back to the place.

The dock was the same as it had always been. Hojo could spy a figure standing by the boat. The shadows of night made it impossible to make out his face, but Hojo could see that he was dressed in the traditional dark blue suit of the Turks. Hojo had heard enough stories about the Turks to cause him to be cautious. He held onto Lucrecia's hand tighter.

They reached him. Lucrecia gasped when she got a good look at his face.

"Vincent?" she said.

The Turk's jaw dropped, "Lucrecia?"

Hojo's eyes darted back and forth between his wife and the Turk. Then something occurred to him. As he looked at Vincent's face, a thought came to his mind. He noticed how wild Vincent's hair was, much like his when he didn't use enough hair gel. The newly formed theory seemed so improbable but as he observed the Turk, he couldn't help but ask.

"Vincent...Valentine?" Hojo spoke.

"Yes..." Vincent raised an eyebrow at him. Hojo set his teeth together, unsure about how he was supposed to respond. He never thought it would be like this. If he had known who the Turk was, he would have been better prepared.

"Vincent, how nice to see you," Lucrecia said, smiling, though Hojo could tell how uneasy she was, "how long has it been?"

"Eight years...I'm surprised you remember me."

"You're my friend, Vincent. How could I forget you? I...didn't know you had joined the Turks."

Vincent shrugged, "It's a living." He looked at Hojo and Gast, "I didn't catch your names..."

Dr. Gast held out his hand for Vincent to shake, "I'm Dr. Gast. I'll be leading this project."

"Nice to meet you," Vincent said flatly, out of pleasantry routine. And he held out his hand to Hojo, "And you?"

Hojo placed his hand in Vincent's and shook it as he said, "Dr. Hojo. I see you know my wife Lucrecia."

Vincent took his hand back in shock and stared at the black-haired scientist. Hojo didn't know what had shocked the Turk more: learning Hojo's identity or finding out that he was married to Lucrecia. Hojo's eyes darted to his boss and spouse. He felt sorry for them at this moment, for they truly had no idea what was really going on here. Vincent's cool exterior was beginning to crack as his eyes averted to the side and he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Vincent obviously wasn't going to make the next move, so Hojo decided to get out of this conversation gracefully, "We should probably go on the boat before it takes off, shouldn't we, Dr. Gast?"

"Of course, all this dawdling..." But Gast looked at Hojo and Vincent suspiciously one more time before he and Vincent started walking towards the boat. Hojo and Lucrecia stayed a few feet behind.

"What was _that_ all about?" Lucrecia whispered to her husband.

"I'll tell you later, in private."

After twenty-five years, Hojo had finally met his half-brother, Vincent Valentine.

Hojo explained the history to Lucrecia later on when they were alone in their room on the ship. He was sitting down. Somehow, standing up for long periods of time on this ship made him feel a little nauseous.

He told her how his father Alban Valentine, a married man, had seduced his mother, who was only seventeen years old at the time. She gave birth to Hojo, and three months after that, Mr. Valentine's wife had a baby named Vincent. Hojo's mother died giving birth to him, but Mrs. Valentine refused to have anything to do with him. Not surprising, but it forced Hojo to grow up with his indifferent, albeit rich, grandparents. He had never met Vincent, but he knew his name.

"Oh, Hojo," Lucrecia was crying, "I'm so ashamed..."

"Why are _you_ ashamed?" Hojo asked, "None of it was your doing."

"I knew Vincent in high school. We dated a couple of times, and he wanted to go further in the relationship, but I said no. I didn't think we were right for each other."

Hojo's brow furrowed, "What do you mean 'go further'?"

Lucrecia winced, "...You know. He was just a teenage boy. I'm sure he's not like that _now_."

"He's a _Turk_."

Lucrecia didn't respond. Everyone knew well enough the Turks' reputation.

"Besides," Hojo said, "if he is anything like Alban, I don't want you to have anything to do with him."

"Hojo..."

"Not _now_, at least. We'll get to know him better. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps he's not as bad as the rest of the Turks. We'll see."

"Hojo, please try to make peace with him. He _is_ your brother."

"Yes, I know..."

"Promise me you'll try to get along with him."

"All right, I'll try, Lucrecia. I'll _try_."


	7. Getting Adjusted

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein and she is not making money from this.

**Chapter Seven**

**Getting Adjusted**

Nibelheim was a quaint little town on the other side of the world from Midgar. Small towns were a nice luxury to Hojo, for someone who enjoyed solitude and peace. However, the serene setting was made a little more tense than necessary by the Turk's presence.

_"Vincent," _Hojo thought, _"My half-brother..."_

Dr. Gast led the way to the Shinra mansion that would be their home for the duration of their stay. When asked exactly how long that would be, Gast nonchalantly answered that it could months, or even a couple of years. This had caused a whimper of dismay from Lucrecia, but Hojo had rubbed her shoulder, whispering that Nibelheim was preferable to living in Midgar any day of the week. There were no vehicles honking their horns, people shouting at each other, or smells from sewer drains.

The town was quiet all right; too quiet. Hojo thought that he could _breathe_ the heavy silence. He wasn't altogether shocked, considering that Shinra was gaining a reputation for skulduggery. The three people in scientist lab coats and the man in the Turk suit could not have been much of a comfort. Hojo didn't like the way that Vincent was lagging behind them, and he thought that the Turk was following his wife too closely. Lucrecia was walking behind Hojo, despite reassurances from him, obviously not liking the look of the enormous mansion that sat on the edge of the town.

"It's not _haunted_, you know," Hojo said over his shoulder.

"I know..." Lucrecia spoke, not taking her eyes from the tall building, "I've just never been comfortable in these sort of houses. I always feel like something will jump out at me. Like rats, or something..."

"You don't need to be afraid; this is a perfectly safe house."

"And besides," Vincent said, "rats are usually scared of people." He stopped following them once they passed through the gate and turned around, as if to see if anyone was following them.

"What about roaches?" Lucrecia finally went to her husband's side and took his hand.

"Rats will eat the roaches," Hojo answered.

"But what about the _rats_?"

"We've a couple of cats in the house," Gast spoke for the first time in a few minutes, "they'll eat the rats."

Lucrecia was quiet for a moment before smirking and saying, "What do roaches eat?"

"Termites," Hojo replied.

"So, the termites eat the wood, the roaches eat the termites, the rats eat the roaches, the cats eat the rats... Would anything eat a cat?"

"_I'm_ going to eat one if we don't get something for dinner soon," Gast jested, "but in all serious, probably a wolf."

Lucrecia's eyes widened, "A wolf?"

"They live in the outskirts; there's nothing to fear here." Gast went to the wall after the group entered the mansion and turned on the chandelier lights. Lucrecia looked around.

"...We could fit our apartment in this foyer," she said, her voice small.

"I'm in no position to disagree with _that_," Hojo said. Vincent then walked into the building.

"First things first," Gast said, "I'll show you our workplace."

He led them upstairs into a bedroom and walked over to a circular stone fixture in the wall that looked like a chimney could have been there. Gast pushed a switch and a wall in the stone pushed to the side to reveal a door into a passageway. After pressing another button that turned on the lights in the passageway, the four entered in.It was a long stairwellthat circularly ran down deep underground. The stairs were narrow and had a wooden railing along the sides.

"Spooky..." Lucrecia said, looking around.

"This secret place was actually used for catacombs when the house was first built several hundred years ago. Don't be surprised to see a couple of skeletons. There's even a room with coffins. Our people have built a library and laboratory at the end of the catacombs. Don't worry, once we shut the door, it will seem civil enough."

The library was very accommodating compared to the rest of its surroundings. Lucrecia was still uneasy, but a little comforted by the sight of the books and scientific equipment. Vincent looked around with a raised eyebrow; at the end of his scrutinizing he let out a, "Hmm..."

"Tommorrow we will go to the reactor in the mountains with the mayor, a Mr. Lockheart," said Gast, "that is where they have placed the organism found in the strata."

After they all got something to eat, it was time togo to bed. They had hardly gotten any sleep during the journey. That night, as Hojo emerged from the bathroom connecting to his and Lucrecia's room, he found his wife pulling back the duvet on their bed, running her hands along the mattress and inspecting every corner. She turned her head to find Hojo watching her with a little smirk on his face.

"Well, you can't be too careful," she said, looking once more underneath her pillow.

"I think if there were any pests in there, you've frightened them away," Hojo spoke.

Lucrecia blinked, "You really think so?"

"I _know_ so. Try to get some sleep; stop worrying about roaches."

Lucrecia sighed and settled onto her side of the bed.

"It _is_ wonderfully soft," she sighed.

Someone knocked on their door. Not wanting anyone to see him in his pajamas (or Lucrecia in her thin, satin nightgown, for that matter), Hojo called towards the locked door, "Who is it?"

"Vincent," came the reply.

"...What do you need?" Hojo tried to keep the edginess out of his voice; he didn't want to worry Lucrecia.

"Just checking things. Is everything all right?"

"Everything's just fine, Vincent."

"Thanks for asking," said Lucrecia.

"You're welcome," Vincent answered. Hojo only relaxed when he heard Vincent's footfalls going down the hall towards his own room. And he only moved when Vincent's bedroom door closed. Hojo had kept a perfectly straight face, or so he thought.

"You don't have to be so paranoid, you know," Lucrecia chuckled, "I think he means well."

Hojo rolled his eyes. Lucrecia was the only person in the world who could read his practically unreadable features. He walked towards the bed and got in. There were nightstands beside both his and Lucrecia's sides of the bed, but only his lamp was lit at this time. After he turned the light off, Lucrecia cuddled up next to him and wrapped an arm around his chest.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too."

"...Has Dr. Gast mentioned anything to you about what this organism is?"

"No."

"Why all the secrecy?"

"I don't know."

Lucrecia sighed and listened to the silence for a moment. There were a lot of crickets chirping outside. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled. Lucrecia gasped and clasped on tighter to her husband. Hojo chuckled and put his arm around her.

"That was a long way off in the mountains," he said, "don't be scared."

"We're going to have to go up there tommorrow."

"Wolves are nocturnal creatures. It'll be broad daylight when we go..."

"I know, but what if...?"

"No more 'what ifs'. I think you've had enough 'what ifs' for one day," he kissed her, "I won't let anything happen to you. Good night."

"...I know you won't. Good night."


	8. Jenova

**Disclaimer: **Kit Thespian does not own FFVII or the characters therein, and she is not making money off of this.

_Author's note: Fans of "Up a Treehouse" will appreciate the latter half of this chapter._

**Chapter Eight**

**Jenova**

The expedition to the Mako reactor went without incident. But there was something about Mako reactors that frightened Lucrecia. Whenever she was near one in Midgar, she didn't want to stay there for long. So, as usual, when the three scientists stepped into the reactor, Lucrecia clung to Hojo. Vincent and their guide, Mr. Lockheart (_A/N: This is Tifa's grandfather_) had to stay outside. Vincent thought it was ridiculous that he, a member of one of Shinra's elite groups, should not be privy to a reactor's secrets.

Hojo personally thought that it wouldn't have mattered anyway, since the "secrets" of a Mako reactor were so complex only a scientist or an engineer would have understood them. Still, better safe than sorry. Now that they were actually inside of the reactor, Hojo would have preferred it if they had left Lucrecia outside. They entered into a walkway which had no railing, and they had to go to a ladder and climb down, and then cross another walkway to get to the interior of the reactor.

They all managed it well, all things considered. There was one brief, frightening moment when Hojo took a moment to peer over the edge of the final walkway to look below. There was an endless-looking pool of Mako streaming below. If one fell in, there would be no coming out. He had seen what had happened to the specimen that had been given the 111 degrees of Mako. That specimen had lived no more than two weeks. Ironically, it had died of starvation. Its system was so jammed with crystalline Mako that its bloodstream couldn't nourish it.

"The organism is up these stairs," Gast said, "Prepare yourselves; I haven't been given any information on what it looks like."

Nothing could have prepared them for this. The organism, contained in a clear glass tube, was a monstrosity. The head looked slightly human, but had rows of hair-like tentacles flowing from it. It had two breasts, but Hojo seriously doubted that they were mammary glands. It had dozens of tentacles, big and small, emerging from its torso. It looked dead, but something in Hojo could not accept that. To him it appeared only to be sleeping.

Lucrecia gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. Even Gast was taken aback.

"What _is_ that?" he said.

No one replied, because they all knew the answer. It was their job to find out.

_In the laboratory..._

"It's extraordinary," Gast said, peering through the microscope, "the organism was found in a 2,000 year old geological strata, and yet...well, take a look."

Hojo looked at the sample cells that they had taken from the organism. They showed no sign of deterioration. It was as if the organism had been born the day before. The organelles, seen through the transparent celluar membranes, were moving about and functioning.

"How is this possible...?" Hojo murmured outloud. He moved aside and let Lucrecia look. He said, "_How_?"

"I have a theory," Dr. Gast scratched his chin, "it's quite improbable, but it just might..."

"What is it?" asked Lucrecia.

"It could be an Ancient, the last of the Cetra."

"An Ancient?" Hojo raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Fairytales..."

"On the contrary, Dr. Hojo, there has been archeological evidence that the Ancient story has basis in fact. They discovered a city, not too long ago and not too far off from where the organism was found, that could have been built by the Ancients. The architecture was too advanced for early man."

"What are we going to do?" asked Lucrecia.

"I will write a letter to the president, and see what he thinks on the matter. We should not proceed with anything without his approval. Still...if we could produce people with the power of the Ancients, think of the possibilities! The Ancients were said to have been able to speak with the Planet."

"Speak...with...the Planet." Hojo thought this was getting more and more ridiculous, and his cynical expression showed it.

"But, Hojo," Lucrecia said, "What if it _were_ possible?"

"All the same," Hojo addressed his mentor, "what exactly do you mean by 'producing people with the power of the Ancients'? Do you mean to infuse human beings with these cells? We don't even know for sure if that organism _is_ an Ancient or not. I am not an expert on these legends, but weren't the Cetra supposed to look like us, human beings? There was nothing truly human about that thing in the reactor."

"It's still alive after all this time," Gast remarked, "the Cetra were said to have agelessness."

"How did it get in that strata in the first place, and why weren't there others like it?"

"Yes," Lucrecia said, siding with Hojo, "there was supposed to be an entire population of Cetra."

"Well, we won't find out if we don't do the research, will we?" Gast said, "And we won't do the research until I get approval from the President. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to write that letter. And you two, in the meantime I suggest you find a book on the Cetra (I'm sure there's one around here somewhere) and get brushed up it."

Hojo had not seen such a glint of excitement in Dr. Gast's eyes since the success of the experiment with Captain Tamrelan and the Mako infusions. At least one person was happy in this place.

"It _is_ fascinating, though," Lucrecia said as she and her husband walked arm in arm up the stairwell in the secret passageway, "What if it _is_ a Cetra?"

"If it is, then I'll be willing to admit that I was wrong, in the name of science," Hojo answered, "but basing a scientific endeavor off of a legend is still something unheard of."

When the couple entered the stair landing, Lucrecia noticed Vincent on the bottom floor in the hall, playing solitare. He looked up at the sound of their footsteps and said, "Hello. How did it go?"

"Just fine," said Hojo. The tone in his voice suggested that nothing more was to be said on the matter. He and Lucrecia started down the stairs.

"Say, Hojo," Vincent said, sounding like he was trying to be diplomatic, "you know how to play five-card draw?"

Hojo was surprised at the offer, but he nodded his head. His grandparents, ever the gamblers, had taught him every card game that ever was, right down to blackjack and go fish. He didn't play cards a good deal, but he had the skill. He consented to a few games with Vincent.

Lucrecia didn't play, but sat aside and watched with fascination. As you may imagine, Hojo and Vincent had the best poker faces in the entire world. The only muscles on their faces that moved (except for when speaking) were the ones helping their eyelids to blink. They were winning the games in a fairly even streak.

However, the peace was interrupted when Lucrecia giggled. Hojo turned his head towards her and asked, "What?"

"You two are so cute!" she laughed. However, in the time that Hojo took to ask his wife what the problem was, he let his cards tip down just a little. Vincent leaned over a bit to see what Hojo's cards were. Unfortunately, Hojo caught him.

Hojo was not the type to snap, so he said coolly, "You're cheating."

Vincent wasn't going to be called a cheater (whether he was or not) so he replied, "I am not."

"You are too," Hojo's brow furrowed.

"Am _not_."

"Are _too_."

Lucrecia couldn't believe her eyes and ears. What was going on here?

"I saw you peeking at the cards; you can't deny it," Hojo said.

"I'm not denying anything!" Vincent's face started to turn red.

"You are so!" So much for Hojo not being the snapping type.

"I am not!"

"Are so!"

"Am _not_, you deranged jackass!"

Lucrecia gasped. Hojo's eyes widened and he retaliated, "Who are you calling a 'deranged jackass', you...pompous neanderthal!"

Vincent threw down his hand of cards on the table, "What? Psychotic twerp!"

"Brainless nitwit!"

"Stupid mad-scientist!"

"Trigger-happy dolt!"

Vincent growled and pounced on his half-brother. Lucrecia jumped to her feet, stifling a screech. If the situation weren't so revolting, she probably would have been laughing. The two men were rolling on the floor, scuffling.

"Stop it, you two! Stop it!" Lucrecia exclaimed but to no avail. She saw that Vincent had a glass of water sitting nearby and she went and took it, "If you're going to act like a couple of dogs, than I'm going to have to separate you like a couple of dogs!"

She hurled the glass' contents on the faces of her husband and brother-in-law. They both coughed and sputtered and ceased their fighting for a moment as they looked at Lucrecia with nothing less than disgusted looks.

"My dear," Hojo said, sounding like his normal, calm self, "please stay out of this."

"Yeah, stay out of this," Vincent agreed. And he and Hojo continued on in their wrestling match. Lucrecia stood agape at the spectacle for a moment before storming off towards the broom closet, looking for something to whack her husband and the Turk on the head with.

But by the time she came back, the broomstick was apparently not longer needed. Vincent and Hojo were lying on the ground, huffing and puffing.

"What...were we fighting about?" Vincent asked Hojo.

"I have no idea..."

Silence.

"Let's get some dinner," Vincent suggested.

"Good idea," Hojo conceded and the two got off of the ground. They passed a shocked Lucrecia on the way to the kitchen and Hojo said, "Will you be joining us, my dear?"

Lucrecia absently nodded and followed the two, still wondering what on earth had just happened here. That incident was how Vincent and Hojo were introduced to the wonderful world of sibling rivalry.


	9. The Green Monster Whose Eyes Turn Red

(Kit Thespian enters to find a most fascinating sight. Sephiroth and Reeve are sitting on a couch, eating popcorn, watching the story unfold)

Reeve: Can't believe you thought that thing was your mom.

Sephiroth: Yeah, go figure.

Reeve (sees Lucrecia): Wow, your real mom was a _babe_!

Sephiroth (pulling out Masamune): You checking out my mama?

Reeve: What? No!

Sephiroth (with glare of doom): ARE YOU AFTER MY MAMA?

Reeve: Eeeek! (runs out)

(Sephiroth grins, settles back down on the couch, grabs the bowl of popcorn, and mumbles to himself)

Sephiroth: Caps always work.

Kit Thespian: Sephiroth, I never would have believed you would scare the dickens out of poor Reeve just to monopolize the popcorn.

(Startled by her sudden appearance, Sephiroth yelps and some of the popcorn goes flying)

Sephiroth: Where did _you_ come from?

Kit Thespian: I'm the author. I come and go as I please. (notes scattered popcorn and tv) Looks like I'm giving you "Up a Treehouse" people too much of a vacation.

Sephiroth: Aww, thesp, don't take my vacation, PLEASE?

Kit Thespian: Caps won't work with me, bo-bo. But, I suppose its all right, as long as you go to Reeve right now and apologize.

Sephiroth: All right...

Kit Thespian: All right, what?

Sephiroth (forcing a smile): All right, _oh mighty one!_

Kit Thespian: That's better! Now, if you really want to make me happy and benevolent, you'll say the Disclaimer

Sephiroth: ...Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making any money off of this.

**Chapter Nine**

**The Green Monster Whose Eyes Turn Red...**

Hojo and Vincent never squabbled over cards again, but they would have an argument every now and then. Lucrecia didn't mind the little "discussions" as long as they didn't end in the two men rolling on the floor and pulling at each other's hair like two four-year-olds. Sometimes, though, the two brothers got along quite tolerably. The best time was one night after dinner when they discussed politics without going for each other's throats. They actually had very similar political views. They both wanted gambling for money outlawed, for one thing.

Dr. Gast got a reply from his letter to the president. The president said to proceed with the project, to find a way to produce a person with the power of the Ancients. The president even suggested that this person may be able to find the Promised Land.

After Gast had finished reading his letter to his two comrades, Hojo spoke with a dull quality to his voice, "The Promised Land? Has the president entirely lost his mind?"

"The Ancients thought the Promised Land was to be their reward after their journeys," Lucrecia said, "What use would it be to the president?"

"One of the many theories surrounding the Promised Land is that it would be a rich and fertile land," Gast explained, "and thus extremely plentiful in Mako. When the Mako resources around Midgar are dried up, there will have to be another city built, where Mako is plenty."

"You mean the president wants us to use all of our scientific knowledge and energies to whet his greed?" Hojo asked, irritated, "Is that what he's paying us to do?"

"Basically," Gast answered, "you're working in Shinra now, Dr. Hojo. You should get used to it."

Hojo grumbled, "This is just perfect; perfectly _wretched_. Very well, if the president wants a person with Cetra powers, then he'll get a person with Cetra powers... But the research will take us a long while."

"The president understands that, and has said that he'll be quite patient with us," Gast spoke, "Now, we will just need a volunteer to inject the serum in when we get it prepared..."

"Me," Hojo said plainly. Gast and Lucrecia looked shocked, and he continued, "If anyone will be injected with that thing's cells, I wish it to be me."

"A little heroic, aren't we, Dr. Hojo?" Gast said.

"Just curious, really." And a little selfish. He wanted to know personally what an affect that thing would have. Lucrecia put a hand on her husband's arm.

"Are you sure, Hojo?" she asked, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Lucrecia, by the time we get through refining the cells in a serum, they won't pose a threat to me, I assure you."

So the research began. The scientists knew that one could not simply take a sample of cells and inject it into an organism. Refinement was needed. Such a thing would take weeks, even months. During those months, life was fairly busy for the scientists, and fairly boring for the Turk. Fortunately, he liked to read, and there were more than enough fiction books in the underground library to pass his time.

But he also spent a good deal of time thinking about Lucrecia. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world. Surely she still cared for him, and _surely_ she couldn't really be in love with Hojo. How could she? He was cold, uncaring, and not very attractive. Lucrecia was so full of compassion and laughter, and had the sweetest disposition of anyone he had ever met.

It wasn't too late, was it? He had a good deal to offer her. He still had some of his family's money and he had a great salary working with the Turks. And she had paid him a good deal of attention lately; in a friendly way, of course, but it could mean that she still liked him. As Vincent thought about this, the bolder he become in carrying out his plan. He was too enamored, though, to catch the shifty looks that Lucrecia's husband would give him. He misinterpreted Lucrecia's nervousness into being flustered.

One day, four months into the research, Vincent saw Lucrecia walking out of the mansion, telling her husband she was going to go for a stroll around the town. Hojo called that he would catch up with her later. Now was the perfect time. He followed her.

He caught up with her just as she was leaving the mansion gate.

"Hey, Lucrecia," he said, grinning.

She turned and smiled, "Hello, Vincent."

"Going for a walk?"

"Yes."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all!"

"As a matter of fact, there's...um...something I wanted to talk to you about."

Lucrecia blinked, "Okay..."

Vincent paused for a moment, and said, "Matter of fact, let's go to the town gate." He gently took her arm and started to lead her away.

"But...But why?" Lucrecia let herself be led, but was extremely puzzled, "Vincent? Vincent? What is it?"

They stopped at the front gate, and, placing his hands on Lucrecia's shoulders, started to spout his overture.

"Lucrecia, you know I love you..."

"I love you too, Vincent," she said, trying to sound casual.

"No, not like _that_. I _love_ you. I want to be with you..."

Lucrecia's eyes widened, "Vincent..."

"After this is all over, why don't you come with me?"

"Vincent..." Lucrecia could barely make her words because of her shock, "I'm married!"

"He doesn't love you, Lucrecia."

"Yes, he does!"

"Not like I love you. Please, Lucrecia..." He took her hands.

"Vincent, stop this! I don't love you like that! Even if you _were_ right, and he doesn't love me, I don't care because_ I _love_ him!_"

She yanked her hands out of his and started to run away. Vincent reached after her.

"Lucrecia!"

"No, Vincent," Lucrecia shook her head, sobs forming in her voice, "No!"

Vincent was numb with shock. He couldn't believe it. She had refused him! She couldn't really love his brother, could she? What did he have that Vincent didn't? Vincent walked towards the bushes near the city gate to wallow in his self-pity. The thought of Lucrecia being perfectly happy with Hojo was crazy. Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarette pack. Time for a smoke.

"Lucrecia?" he heard Hojo call. Vincent rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to gag. He lit his cigarette and inhaled the nicotine in his lungs. He really needed it right now. Hojo didn't seemed to notice him as Lucrecia ran up to him and embraced his neck, planting her lips fully on his.

After she stopped kissing him, she put her head on his shoulder. Hojo was surprised, both pleasantly and puzzledly, and asked, "What is it?"

"What took you so long?" Lucrecia asked.

"...You've only been out here for five minutes."

"I don't care; it was too long..."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm all right now..." And Lucrecia wouldn't say anything else. She then clung onto Hojo's arm and they walked back into the town. He didn't pry her with questions, because he knew Lucrecia by now and if there was anything he needed to know, she would tell him.

And she did tell him, but later on that night. After Hojo was ready to go to bed, he noticed that Lucrecia, instead of being curled up in the duvet, was sitting on the bottom corner of her half of the bed, looking quite sheepish. She was dressed in her satin nightgown. She had washed her hair that night, was letting it dry naturally wavy. Even with the serious expression on her face, she looked insanely beautiful.

"What's wrong?" Hojo asked, climbing into bed.

"...Please don't get mad," she said.

Hojo was filled with concern. What could possibly be wrong that Lucrecia would think that he would be angry with her for it?

"I won't," he said.

"Vincent...talked with me today. He...said some things..." Lucrecia bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut, "He asked me to run away with him after the research was done."

Hojo was not surprised that Vincent would do something like that, but he had to know...

"And you said no?" he asked.

"Of course, I did!" Lucrecia started to cry, "How can you even think otherwise?"

Hojo found himself crawling across the bed and taking his wife in his arms to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," he said, "that was foolish of me. I'm sorry. No, I really didn't think you would run away with him. But, he can be manipulative. I didn't know."

"Well, I let him know very plainly that I would not go with him. He was acting crazy, Hojo. I was scared..."

So, that explained Lucrecia's behavior fully when he went to meet her in the town. The thought of Vincent making such offers to his wife started to boil Hojo's blood. But he could not show anger to Lucrecia; it would only pain her more. Besides, he could put aside his anger for a while and just savor the moment. Lucrecia was _his_, not Vincent's. And he was hers.

"Everything will be all right," he said.

"Thank you for understanding. I didn't know what to do, so I just ran away."

"You did the right thing..." Hojo then smirked and nuzzled his nose against Lucrecia's damp hair, "Why don't you come to bed?"

"We _are_ in bed, _dear_," Lucrecia giggled.

"You know what I mean..."

"Of course, I do," Lucrecia kissed her husband on the lips.

"And don't worry about Vincent; I'll have a talk with him tommorrow."

"Promise me you won't get yourself into trouble."

"Trust me, Lucrecia, I won't do anything uncalled for."

Satisfied by his answer, Lucrecia smiled and kissed him again.

_The next day..._

Vincent thought his skull was going to crack open with the force of his entire body getting pushed onto a wall in the mansion. He also thought he was going to choke to death from the hand wrapped around his throat. It had happened in a second. It took him a moment to realize that it was Hojo who had appeared around the corner and done this.

"If I ever hear of you making advancements on my wife again or even see you cast a lustful eye on her, I will torture you so unimagineably you won't even be considered a human being after I'm through with you!" Hojo hissed, the glare on his face fit for a demon, "Do you understand that, Valentine?"

He released his grip on Vincent's throat, only to take a handful of Vincent's wild hair. Hojo knew he was playing with fire; the Turks were no weaklings. But anger at Vincent's overtures to Lucrecia fueled his courage.

"Okay, okay!" Vincent strained, amazed at Hojo's boldness, "If she's happy...then I don't mind..."

"Good... Just keep that in mind, _brother_." And Hojo walked towards the laboratory. It took Vincent a while to fully get over the shock of what just happened. After that, he just shook his head and went to his room to pout.

_Author's note: By the way, for those who do not know, "The Green Monster Whose Eyes Turn Red" is a biblical term for jealousy. _


	10. The First Injection

**Disclaimer: **Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters and she is not making money off of this.

_Author's note: In response to Arsenic's fabulous review, I will say this. Every author who writes fan fiction has his or her own idea of how a character should be represented, according to his or her point of view. I didn't think that I was demonizing Vincent. I thought I was showing a young Turk not handling rejection very well, pre-thirty-five humiliating years inside of a coffin. Ah well. In my stories, I don't tend to make Hojo or Vincent better than the other; I just seem to put them on the same level in certain ways. Hojo has his strengths and weaknesses, and so does Vincent, and their individual weaknesses bring about their downfalls._

_As for the characters changing emotions too quickly, sorry 'bout that. I'm a rather moody person myself, and it tends to leak out into my characters. Hojo is an aggresive-moody person (meaning he gets angry easily, though not necessarily losing his temper) while Vincent is more passive-moody. That's how I characterize people in tragic stories and that will probably not change any time soon. Truth be told, this is the first real "tragedy" I've ever written._

_If that part with Vincent and Lucrecia seemed rushed, it's only because of my severe dislike for the character of Vincent (especially Turk-Vincent), and that's the only time, I hope, that I have to write him without Hojo in the picture, except the after-effects of Hojo's experimentations. That conversation seemed to me to be one of the necessary evils in Human Monster and I despised every moment of writing from Vincent's point of view. Other than him writhing in the throes of madness, it won't happen again. I wanted to get it over as soon as possible. The story should resume its normal pace during this chapter and chapters to follow._

_If you are a Vincent fan, then I apologize for your sufferings. I have some respect for the guy. But this **is** a Hojo fic, so you were kind of asking for it. I'm actually a lot nicer to Vincent after AVALANCHE finds him in the present time, after he has undergone severe humbling (even though I think it turned him into a "cuckoo clock"). Why don't I like him? I just can't seem to like the "heroes" that stand around and mope all the time, especially after thirty-five years worth of moping. But, your opinion is your own, so that's cool._

**Chapter Ten**

**The First Injection**

Hojo hid his apprehension as Dr. Gast tightened the tourniquet around his left arm. His yellow eyes wandered to the yellow-green liquid inside of the syringe. Lucrecia sat beside him, holding his right hand, more for her comfort than his. But she could tell that he was nervous; even if he showed no other exterior signs of it, his staring at the syringe filled with the serum was enough. Gast dabbed Hojo's elbow joint with a cotton ball dabbed with alcohol. He made a comment on how good Hojo's veins were. Hojo supposed that was one good advantage of being very thin.

His teeth clenched as the needle punctured the skin. For the past few months he had been wondering whether or not this was a good idea and this moment was no different. The liquid ran cold through his veins, burning a little. But it faded in a moment. There was a long silence while Gast patched up the injection point in Hojo's arm.

Lucrecia asked, "Feel any different?"

"Not really," Hojo said, though he knew that the effects would be slow in coming. The cells from the Jenova creature (for that is what Gast had named it) would have to fuse with his cells before any real results could take place. But how long _that_ would take, they did not know.

"Well, that's that," Gast said, "all we have to do now is wait. We'll do some tests tommorrow. But if you feel any side effects before then, Hojo, you'll tell me."

"Of course," Hojo answered.

Lucrecia stood up, sighing, "I'm going to get some fresh air." Hojo got up to go with her. She was a good deal more tired recently, and he guessed it was because she was being overworked. Gast policy of working overtime had not changed with location. Lucrecia kept insisting that she was perfectly all right, and that she was sure that there was nothing wrong with her. But all the same, after her dizzy spell the day before, Hojo wanted to walk with her to make sure she didn't get woozy on the spiral staircase.

When they opened the door to the dark corridor, they found Vincent waiting in the hallway, smoking. Hojo tensed up a little at first sight of him, but Vincent just lazily moved his head towards his half-brother and sister-in-law.

"So," he asked, "how did it go?"

"Splendidly," Hojo said, not sounding very excited.

"That's good... I was just waiting to see if it were all right for me to go and get a book from the library."

"I'm sure Dr. Gast won't mind," Lucrecia spoke.

"Just don't touch the equipment," Hojo added.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Vincent kept his eyes off of Hojo's as he walked past the couple into the library. As soon as the door was shut behind him, Hojo and Lucrecia continued in their walk towards the stairwell. Lucrecia took Hojo's hand in hers.

"You could stand to be a little more nice," Lucrecia said, "Vincent has been a perfect gentleman for the past couple of months."

_"Only because I threatened his life and manhood,"_ Hojo thought. He said outloud, "Granted. But it will take a while for trust to be established."

"I think you're partly to blame for that."

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Ever since we first met him, you've been searching for excuses to find something wrong with him. I've said it once and I'll say it again: please give him another chance. He hasn't said one dishonorable word to me since that day."

_"He's also been avoiding you; a true sign of guilt."_ Hojo grimaced inwardly. Just the thought of it made him tighten his grip on Lucrecia's hand.

_That night..._

Hojo woke up from a dreamless sleep, hearing a little humming noise. It was a low, soft sound, but constant and maddening. It was like an emergency radio signal, or a very good alarm clock that would give you nightmares if you were too tired to wake up when it went off. The noise was quiet, but the constancy of it pounded against his eardrums. He thought they were going to burst. It became so horrible that a thin film of sweat began to break out on his forehead.

He looked at his wife's sleeping form, wondering how she could possibly stand it. After several minutes of trying to ignore it, he tapped Lucrecia on the shoulder. He hated to wake her up like this, but he had to know if she knew what that sound could possibly be.

She opened her eyes and said wearily, "What is it, dear?"

"What's that noise?" he asked.

"What noise?"

"That buzzing sound; don't you hear it?"

"...No. I hear a lot of crickets and frogs outside..."

"No, that's not it. It's like an emergency broadcast sound."

"I don't hear anything."

And in a moment, neither did Hojo. The humming stopped. Hojo had never felt such relief before. He heaved a big sigh and relaxed on his pillow.

After wiping the sweat off of his brow, he spoke, "I'm sorry; it was just a nightmare. Go to sleep."

_Two weeks later..._

"Why, this is incredible..." Gast said, looking at a sample from Hojo's skin cells. It was only he and Dr. Gast in the laboratory. Lucrecia hadn't been feeling well that morning, and it wasn't the first time. She said she going to see Dr. Lamm, a female doctor in Nibelheim.

"What? What is it?" Hojo asked, almost ready to push Gast away from the microscope so he could get a look. He had been hearing those noises off and on throughout these entire two weeks. His ears were constantly aching and sometimes he couldn't sleep at night. He became more easily irritable.

"I'm comparing your skin sample from before the injection to the new sample. I could be wrong. I want to take another sample in a couple of weeks and compare it. But...it seems that perhaps your aging process is being slowed."

"What?"

"The amount of dead skin cells your body has sloughed off has decreased, a great deal. I want to see if this continues," there was a glimmer in the professor's eyes, "If our experiment is successful, not only will we be able to produce people with the powers of the Ancients, but also with their agelessness."

"Ageless?"

"Hojo, this is a very great secret. You will share this with no one but Lucrecia, and you tell her that it is classified."

"...All right. But what about the buzzing in my ears?"

"I can find no reason why that should continue.You said it's been getting less and less, correct?"

"Yes."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Gast brow then furrowed, "but if you have more problems with it, consult me on the matter."

"Of course."

Though he hid it from Dr. Gast, Hojo was greatly disturbed. According to the results of the tissue sample, Gast was actually suggesting that he would be able to live forever. Before it would have gone against all scientific principles, but now it was becoming a possibility. Hojo bit his tongue; he should have thought of this simply by virtue of the fact that Jenova's cells had not deteriorated after two thousand years. If this were the case...Lucrecia would grow old and die, while he remained young. What on earth had he gotten himself into? He had not bargained for this.

He shook his head. It was a ridiculous possibility. Surely these were only temporary side effects. However, if the Jenova cells had truly fused with his, they could have infiltrated his genetic system as well, and therefore there would be no reversal. The thought made his heart race with anxiety. He had been foolish to put himself into this experiment. They should have called Captain Tamrelan. After the wonderful success with the Mako injections, he would have been happy to be their guinea pig again. Unwittingly, Hojo had turned himself into more of a freak than he already was.

Of course, to the world this would seem like a wonderful thing, to be able to live forever. But unless Lucrecia had the same sort of injection and reacted the same way to it, she would not. Hojo had seen and felt loneliness too many times, and he would know nothing but loneliness if Lucrecia were not with him. To be alone made one wish for death, and it could not come if he were immortal. Then Hojo remembered. There was a line between immortality and agelessness. He would not be immortal; he could still die. But...if that were to happen, he would have to try suicidal means of going about it. If Lucrecia died, he may consider it.

But then he realized that here he was, almost at the age of twenty-six, with a wife almost the same age, worrying about _dying_, of all things. Once he came back to his senses, he shrugged off the trying thoughts and walked out of the laboratory. He wanted to check on Lucrecia.

She had gotten back from town and was in the upstairs hallway of the mansion, looking out one of the windows at the forests and mountains. She had quite a dreamy look on her face, though she was still a little pale. When she saw Hojo coming, she beamed a smile and rushed to him. After giving him a big hug, she asked him:

"What did the results say?"

"I'll tell you later," Hojo said, "You look very chipper."

"It's because I...well..." Lucrecia looked like she could barely contain her excitement, "I have a surprise for you!"

"What is it?" Hojo asked, glad to see her so happy but a little puzzled.

Lucrecia took his hands and bit her lip to hold back a squeal of laughter, "Guess."

"You want me to _guess_?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well...it must be very _good_." Lucrecia nodded cheerfully, and Hojo continued, "Where did you get it from?"

"You," Lucrecia giggled.

Hojo blinked, rather confused, "Me?"

"Let's just say that it will be a big change around here. _Big_ change."

"Um..." Hojo then spouted out something that he thought was the wildest guess in the world, "You're pregnant."

Lucrecia nodded and hugged Hojo's neck, "I am!"

Hojo eyes grew as wide as saucers, "You're...You're pregnant? You're _pregnant_?"

"Dr. Lamm in the village confirmed it. We're going to have a baby!" she exclaimed, almost jumping up and down with glee. Then she looked at Hojo's dumbfounded expression, "I know, I was shocked too, and we're going to have to adjust a few things, but it doesn't matter. We're going to be parents!"

Shocked was a very subtle word to describe just how Hojo felt at that moment. He didn't quite know how he was supposed to react to the happy news. He had never thought about being a father, and he wondered if he would a good job, especially with the results of the experiment. They still didn't know everything the Jenova cells would do to him.

"That _is_ a...er...big change," Hojo stammered, finding it difficult to breathe, "...When?"

"I'm two months along; the baby will be born in seven... Why that face? Aren't you happy?"

"Of...Of course, I'm happy. Just...surprised. Lucrecia...let's keep this to ourselves for a little while, all right?"

Lucrecia grinned and answered, "All right, but I can't hide it more than a couple of months, you know." She rubbed noses with her husband and said, "Congratulations, Papa."

Hojo smiled in reply, trying to keep his upset thoughts secret from his wife.


	11. Something Unheard Of

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making money off of this.

**Chapter Eleven**

**Something Unheard Of**

"It doesn't seem to have enough effect," Dr. Gast said to Hojo, two weeks later. He had a slightly annoyed look on his face as he looked through the microscope.

"What do you mean?" Hojo rolled his sleeve back down. He had a secret hope that Gast meant that the effects were wearing off, that he wouldn't have a stamp of immortality.

"Your cells are still showing signs of agelessness, don't get me wrong. It wasn't the cells I was talking about. You don't seem to be showing any other properties of a Cetra. The Cetra could talk to the Planet, supposedly."

Lucrecia, who was standing by Hojo's side, said, "What are we going to do? The President..."

"I know what the President wants, Lucrecia," Gast spoke, "a person with the powers of the Cetra... Hojo's cells are too mature to take in any further properties of the Cetra's cells. The cells in his body will not be easily influenced by an outside force."

"Oh...Well, what stage of life would we have to inject cells in?" Lucrecia asked.

Hojo shrugged, "A child, I suppose."

Gast said, "Even further than that, I'm afraid. We'll have to find a fetus. In that stage, the cells would fuse with the fetus' genetic structure with ease."

Considering Lucrecia's news a few days earlier, Hojo and Lucrecia both froze at that statement. Hojo, for a brief moment, was amazed at the convenience. But then he thought that he couldn't ask that of Lucrecia. The risk was too high. What if the cells damaged their child permanently? However, on the other hand, what if the cells turned their child into some sort of superbeing? What would his or her life be like? A stream of curiosity filled him.

"Are you two all right?" Gast queried.

Lucrecia nodded and said, "Isn't that dangerous, though? Subjecting a child in pre-natal stages of development to that sort of invasion?"

"I don't see why. The serum have had no negative effect on Dr. Hojo so far. And it's been weeks. They would have done harm to you by now if they were going to. In fact..." a spark of interest appeared in Gast's eye, "if you two were to have a child, that would be perfect. We already know that the cells are compatible with Hojo. The serum we injected into him would work very nicely."

Lucrecia gasped, "Uh...er...I don't know..."

She almost put a protective hand on her stomach out of instinct, but Hojo grabbed it and held onto it, silently telling her not to give any indication that she was already pregnant; not until he had decided what they were going to do. The prospect of the experiment sounded fascinating to Hojo, but he didn't want Gast to know about the baby until Lucrecia was willing to go through with it.

"What she means, Dr. Gast," Hojo said, "is that we are not sure that we would be willing to take that risk, if we _did _had a child."

"I see...Well, think it over."

"We will," Hojo kept a firm hold on Lucrecia's hand.

"I'm going to write to the President and see what he has to say about it..." Gast started.

"Oh, don't do that!" Lucrecia almost wailed, "If you do, the President has a right to...to..."

The look on Gast's face was firm, "I'm going to write to the President. Good day." And he walked to the back room before Hojo could say anything.

Lucrecia knew as well as anyone did that Shinra's government was a dictatorship, and the President's hold on his people was an iron grip, even more so on the employees of the Shinra company. His power went so far that he could order Hojo and Lucrecia to have a baby simply for the use of the experiment if he thought that it would assist him in attaining his ends. Hojo didn't want to see his wife forced into anything, much less something that she thought would hurt their baby. But he was already thinking about the greatness involved. The cells had shown no sign of hurting _him_, have they? What damage could they do?

Lucrecia bit her fist, suppressing a sob. Considering her condition, Hojo knew that she would need to have a good cry before he could fully calm her down. And he didn't want her to face the humiliation of crying in a place where Gast would easily hear her. Hojo quickly led her out of the laboratory into the dark hall and up the stairs, before her tears could fully unleash. They went to their bedroom and Hojo shut the door. There, like he expected, Lucrecia started to weep hysterically.

"Hojo, what are we going to do?" she cried, "What if something happens to our baby...?"

"Nothing will happen to our baby!" Hojo said, taking her by the shoulders, trying to calm her. He sat her down on the bed and settled beside her. "You know," he said, "this may be a good thing..."

"A good thing?" Lucrecia gaped at her husband in horror, "putting some..._thing's_ cells into our baby?"

"The serum is perfectly safe. If he or she could speak with the Planet, think of the things we would learn. Our baby could be...could be..."

**A great warrior or diplomat...**

"A great warrior or diplomat..."

**Someone to bring peace...**

"Someone to bring peace... The greatest man or woman ever to live." Hojo couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. But then it occurred to him that to get the cells into the baby, they would have to inject the cells into Lucrecia. And if they reacted the same way to Lucrecia that they did to him, she would be ageless as well. He wouldn't have to face a prospect of life without her, or their child. The thought lifted a weight from his shoulders, and his heart.

"If this experiment succeeds," Hojo said, "who knows what kind of possibilities there could be?"

**He will be the greatest... People will worship him, almost as a god.**

That last thought was a little ridiculous in Hojo's opinion, and he brushed it off. Why would he think that anyway?

"But what if it fails?" Lucrecia asked, brushing away a tear, "What if...?"

"We're scientists, Lucrecia," Hojo answered, "risks and 'what if?' are part of our job. But the risk factor isn't as high as you would think. The cells may not react at all."

"But this is our baby we're talking about! How can you be so cold about this?"

"Have I ever failed you before? Have I?"

"No, but..."

"Then trust me..."

"...Can we sleep on it?"

"Of course."

Despite her worries, Lucrecia did trust her husband completely. If he thought that this was the right course of action, then it must be. And he was right; the cells had done nothing to him but provided benefits. Who knows? The child could have wonderful powers, like an Ancient.

"Do you _really_ think it'll be all right?" Lucrecia said, that night before they went to bed.

"Of _course_, I do," Hojo answered, "stop worrying about it. Try to sleep."

_Late that night..._

_Perhaps I shouldn't go through with it..._ Hojo thought in his dreams.

**You know it is the right thing to do...** An alien voice seeped into his subconscious.

_What do you mean?_

**How can you refuse this chance? You are a scientist, are you not?**

_Yes..._

**This is the greatest scientific mission that man has ever endeavored. To be able to speak with the Planet...To be one with the Planet...**

_One with the Planet?_

**The most powerful being on earth...That could be _your_ child, you know. He or she would be revered by all... No harm will come to the child. With the Cetra's blood running through its veins, how could it be harmed? And your wife can be with you always because of this injection. Think about it... You'll never be lonely again...**

And the voice stopped. Hojo's eyes opened. He didn't feel like he had just awakened from a dream; the voice had been so real. But there wasn't any way that a voice could be in his head, unless the Planet were speaking to him, like it would an Ancient. But that was ridiculous; in the legends the Planet would speak to the Cetra in several voices, not in one overpowering voice. He decided that it had been a dream.

_The Next Day..._

"Are you _sure_ about this, dear?" Lucrecia walked slowly with her husband down the hall, with him holding onto her hand, "After all, you were the most cynical one about Jenova at the start."

"And it will be the same as last time. Nothing will happen to our baby. The serum is refined to a point that the chance of negative effects is almost nil."

"Almost?"

Hojo sighed, "They're nil, all right? Does that make you feel better?"

"No."

"Lucrecia..."

"I just don't want anything bad to happen..."

**Nothing bad will happen...**

"Nothing bad will happen," Hojo repeated what he assumed were his thoughts.

"Happen to what?" Vincent was coming up the stairs to go the laboratory to get a new book when Hojo had said that.

"It's a new experiment, that's all," Hojo answered.

"Are you two headed for the laboratory?" Vincent asked.

"Yes."

"Great, I'll join you. By the way, Dr. Gast went into town. He'll be back in about an hour," Vincent looked at Lucrecia's pale face, "Are you all right, Lucrecia? You don't look so good."

"I'm okay..." She threw a questioning glance at Hojo. Hojo knew that she was wondering if it would be all right to tell him about the baby now. She had been itching to tell someone for weeks now, and since they were going to tell Gast, they might as well inform their bodyguard of Lucrecia's state. Lucrecia didn't seem as happy, though, in light of the coming experiment.

He said, flatly, "Go ahead, tell him."

"Are you sure it's all right with you?" Lucrecia asked.

"Of course, tell him."

Lucrecia turned to Vincent and said, "You're going to be an uncle."

Vincent almost tripped over himself in his tracks and looked at Lucrecia, wide-eyed, "Oh... You guys are going to have a baby?"

"I believe that's what she just said," Hojo spoke, with a twitch of a smirk. Vincent looked almost endearing with that look of complete shock on his face.

"Oh..." Vincent murmured. In a moment, he regained enough wit to spout out half-heartedly, "That's great! Congratulations, you two..."

Lucrecia rolled her eyes, "You don't have to sound _so_ excited, Vincent."

"I'm happy for you two, really," Vincent spoke sincerely, "it was just a shock. How far along are you?"

"Almost three months."

"That's good...So, are you going to have the baby here or go back to Midgar?"

"Truth be told," Hojo said, "the baby will probably be born here whether we like it or not. But it's better because of the fresh air."

"Whether you like it or not?" Vincent raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by that?"

Lucrecia bit her lip as she was reminded of her and Hojo's decision. Hojo thought for a moment about whether or not he should tell Vincent of the experiments. But he knew that Vincent would want an explanation of the strange things going on. And, though he would never admit it, Hojo was starting to like his half-brother. They were getting along better now, and Vincent was no longer setting eyes on Lucrecia.

Hojo explained, "Remember when we went to the reactor a few months ago?"

"Yes," Vincent answered, "but I wasn't allowed to go in."

"Vincent, you mustn't breathe a word of what I'm about to tell you to anyone," by this time they were in the secret stairway down to the basement, "understood?"

Secrets were a vital part of a Turk's life, and Vincent had more than one that he knew he would take to the grave with him. It was part of his work. This would only be another one to add to the list. Since Gast was in town, he wouldn't have to know what Hojo had told Vincent.

He assented, "Understood."

Hojo then explained everything that happened. Vincent listened with a grunt and a nod every once in a while. But his eyes widened with what seemed like horror when Hojo described how he had been injected with the Jenova cell serum. He kept his peace, though.

As they were entering the laboratory, Hojo had finished saying that they were planning to inject Lucrecia with the serum so that the baby would be infused with the cells. At this, Vincent could not keep silent.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" the Turk protested, "Are you saying that you're going to give the _baby_ this stuff?"

"It's perfectly safe..." Hojo said.

"Don't give me that 'perfectly safe' junk!" Vincent started to turn red, "First, you tell me that you allowed yourself to be Gast's lab rat, and now you're going to let your own baby be experimented with? I'm against this! Why experiment on humans anyway?"

"She and I are both scientists!" Hojo seethed.

"Lucrecia, you don't want to go through with this, do you?" Vincent spoke.

Lucrecia looked at the floor, not wanting to look at her brother-in-law.

"Stop it, Vincent," Hojo said, "you're frightening her needlessly!"

"Needlessly?" Vincent's jaw dropped, "It doesn't take a moron to know that this is not a good idea!"

"Vincent, please!" Lucrecia pleaded, tears forming in her eyes, "It's all right... We know what we're doing."

"Do you?" Vincent gave her a hard look, and then he turned to his brother, "Do you? Oh, forget it! Since you two are so bent on ruining your lives, I'll just leave it at that!" He marched to a bookshelf and snatched a book before leaving the library. "And don't worry," Vincent's voice echoed in the passageway, with a sneer in it, "I wouldn't tell a living soul what you're doing. I wouldn't wish knowing that on anyone...!"

Hojo immediately went to Lucrecia's side and held her close, "Don't be scared. He's not a scientist. He doesn't know..."

"But I _am_ scared," Lucrecia was crying now, "What if he's right? What if...?"

"He's _not_. He's only a Turk. How would he know? Come and sit down; you don't look well."

"I don't _feel_ well, Hojo."

"Do you want something to eat or drink? I could run up and get something..."

"No, no, it's all right..."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Hojo knew that she was only saying that so not to inconvenience him, "...I'd better get you some water anyway."

"All right, but I'll come with you. I don't like to be down here by myself..."

Hojo smirked. Every time Lucrecia walked into the kitchen these days, she would always end up snacking on something. And he wanted something to calm her nerves right now. That idiot Vincent hadn't helped at all; rather, he made it worse. Maybe they could scrounge up some chocolate from one of the cabinets. It was one of Lucrecia's favorite things.

He said to her as they walked up the stairs, "Don't worry; I feel perfectly confident that things will turn out all right. You'll see."

Lucrecia managed a smile, "I trust you, sweetie."

_Author's note: For once, they should've listened to Vinny. But we will find that it really wouldn't have mattered. Stange things are happening to Hojo right now. Hey, I actually made Vincent look good in this chapter. Three cheers!_

Review Response:

Sulphurya: Since Hojo has already used himself as a "lab rat," the amount of qualms he would have had with infusing the cells into the baby probably went down a little bit. And you know he had to be curious. And there was also the agelessness factor. Go figure.

Crystelle: Great to have you back! I try to keep the storyline along with the game as much as possible.

Mistress of the Shadows: I try to be as nice to Vincent as I can...which isn't much I'll admit. But I try! I really do!

Shale 101: Hojo's not the sort to think about that kind of thing. He's very busy with his work, you know.


	12. Fine Print

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian doesn't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making money off of this.

**Chapter Twelve**

**Fine Print...**

"No!" Hojo snapped.

"Why not?" Lucrecia crossed her arms and her lips pursed.

"Absolutely not!"

"Would it be _such_ a horrible thing for our child to be named after you if it's a boy?"

"My first name...was my father's..."

"Middle name, I know," Lucrecia then wrapped her arms around her husband and said, "But if we named our baby after you, then he would be named after _you_, not your father. He'd be Sephiroth Hojo Jr.!"

Hojo raised an eyebrow and spoke flatly, "Junior?"

"It would be so sweet."

"What would be?" Dr. Gast asked as he walked into the laboratory.

"If we named the baby after Hojo," Lucrecia said, "but he's being stubborn."

"I _think_ about it, all right?" Hojo groaned, "But we are _not_ calling him 'junior'."

Hojo made sure that day that there was plenty of lighting in the library, so that Lucrecia wouldn't be so frightened. She was willing to go through the procedure, but she would have to look at her husband every few seconds to gain reassurance that what they were doing was the right thing after all. Hojo himself felt numb, as if he were trying to dull himself so that he could do this. He swabbed Lucrecia's right arm with a cotton ball with disinfectant, and then wrapped the tourniquet around her arm. Gast prepared the serum.

They all knew that once they injected Lucrecia with the Jenova serum, there was no turning back. But Hojo kept thinking to himself over and over that this _was_ the right thing to do. It never occurred to him that it was a voice in his head saying this to him. Such things were...unscientific. To keep Lucrecia's mind off of the situation, Hojo started to talk about random things, like the day they first met on the elevator in Shinra HQ, to the small birthday party that she and Dr. Rosem had given him.

"I wonder how Rosem is doing..." Lucrecia said, looking away from her right arm, "We haven't written to him for a while."

"We _have_ been rather busy," Hojo murmured.

Lucrecia smirked a little, "What was it he said he was doing now?"

"A hobby, slight of hand tricks."

"Sounds like something he would do, hmm?"

"Mm-hmm..."

"All right," Gast held up the syringe, "It's ready."

Lucrecia openly cringed, and Hojo rubbed her shoulders.

"It will only be a few moment's pain," he said.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Lucrecia sniffled, "It's..."

"I know, but everything will be all right. You'll see."

Lucrecia bit her lip and looked away while Gast plied the needle into her arm. She had never been fond of needles, and that combined with fear for her baby caused her to whimper a little. Hojo did his best to sooth her by rubbing her back and her hair.

"There," Hojo spoke once Gast took the empty syringe away, "it's over."

"It's cold..." Lucrecia shivered.

"It will be like that, but only for a few moments."

"It was like that for you?"

"Yes."

Lucrecia seemed a little comforted by that.

Over the next few months, they repeatedly did tests and checkups on Lucrecia to make sure that she and the baby were all right. Her blood pressure had gone up a little, but not so much as to become a cause for concern. The baby's heartrate was a slight bit faster than normal, but nothing lethal. Gast suspected that perhaps it was only the child's metabolic rate increasing. Lucrecia became more at ease with each passing day, since the experiment was showing nothing but beneficiary signs. One day, when Lucrecia was nearing her fifth month, Dr. Gast said that he would have to go to Midgar for a few days. He did not explain why, but only that he would be back in a couple of weeks.

The next morning, Hojo was in the library looking for something to read. Gast had not given them that much to do in his absence and Hojo had finished all the needed work that morning. He heard someone coming down the stairs in a hurry. He looked towards the open doorway and Lucrecia came through it.

"Hojo!" She happily went to her husband and hugged him..

"Darling," Hojo returned the embrace with one arm and reshelved a book with the other, "you shouldn't run down the stairs like that and you know it. It's dangerous for you and the baby..."

Lucrecia bit her lip, "I'm sorry, but I'm so excited! The baby's kicking!"

"Kicking?" Hojo blinked.

"Here," Lucrecia took her husband's hand and put it on her stomach, "do you feel it?"

"...Yes." It was an active little thing.

"That means it's alive; it's okay!"

"...And you doubted it was?"

"Well, I was _worried_. It's just nice to have some physical proof. Aren't you happy?"

"Of course, I'm happy," Hojo broke into a smile, putting both hands around Lucrecia's waist. To tell the truth, he was more worried than Lucrecia was, and probably more relieved than she was to feel the baby move. He did not tell Lucrecia, but sometimes he thought he heard growls inside of his head, like a creature was living in his mind. And sometimes he thought he heard a voice saying things to him as he slept, but he could never make out the words. He told Dr. Gast, but all Gast did was write it down on a sheet of paper, file it, and told Hojo to ignore it unless the voice was saying coherent things. They knew it wasn't the Planet speaking to Hojo through the Cetra cells; the voice would be clear. And the buzzing sounds had returned again. The only thing that convinced Hojo he wasn't going insane was Lucrecia. As long as she loved him and was willing to be near him, he wasn't insane. She couldn't love and trust someone who was obviously insane. And Hojo hated to admit it, but even Vincent was welcome company next to the sounds. Their conversations (and often, debates) helped him to keep his mind off of, well, his mind.

Lately, Hojo had taken to mumbling to himself when he was alone. He fought the urge to do it when others were near because he didn't want to be thought of as "not right in the head," even if he _was_ not right in the head. What if it was the injection? That made the most sense, but Hojo tried to deny it because the thought that his child might have to go through the same mental agony was horrible. He often asked himself, _What have I done?_ But the baby was _alive_, and so far Lucrecia had not complained of such things and she had just as many cells injected into her as to Hojo, so perhaps nothing was wrong with the injections. He considered looking up his family history for mental illness, but that could be just as devastating.

Maybe it was only nerves. Yes, nerves at becoming a father and about the success of the experiment. Bad nerves could make one think strange things and do strange things. That had to be it. As long as he kept himself calm and concentrated on Lucrecia and the baby's welfares instead of his own troubles, everything would be all right.

Lucrecia, grinning at Hojo's reassurance, leaned against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. The child kept moving around and Hojo could feel it while Lucrecia was pressing against him.

Lucrecia giggled, "That's our Sephiroth."

"You are absolutely _determined_ to name our baby that, aren't you?"

Lucrecia smirked, "If it's a boy. If it's a girl, I thought that my mother's name would be nice: Kemantha."

"Kemantha?"

"We could call her 'Kemmy' for short."

"What would we call Sephiroth? Sephy?"

"Now, you're being silly."

"I don't want my offspring to hate for the rest of my life for giving him or her a certain name."

"But Sephiroth and Kemantha are _good_ names."

"All right, we _might_ call him Sephiroth, but we are _not_ calling him Junior."

_At the Shinra HQ in Midgar..._

"I'm just not sure about this, Sir..." Dr. Gast nervously handled his research file as he stood before President Shinra's desk, "Dr. Hojo has been complaining about buzzing and incoherent voices in his head, and he had no such problems until after we injected him with the Jenova serum."

Shinra drummed his fingers on the table, "Voices...Are you sure it's not Cetra powers?"

"It couldn't be."

"But the child seems to be all right, so far?"

"Yes. The heartbeat is strong and it's metabolic rate is higher than normal. Mrs. Hojo hasn't complained about any sounds in her head, which causes me to wonder about Dr. Hojo."

"You think he might be mentally unstable, then."

"If he is, that's the only sign of it. Other than these 'voices,' he's a perfectly rational individual, and extremely intelligent."

"So," Shinra took a sip of the cocktail on his desk, "when are you going to inform them about the rights of ownership?"

Gast bit his lip, "I don't know."

The President chuckled, "Well, you'd best tell them soon."

"But, Mr. President, is it really right?"

The big man's eyes narrowed, "Is _what_ really right?"

"I'm willing to sacrifice much for the sake of science, but...their freedom?"

"Remember, Dr. Gast, one word from _you_ to the general public about the ownership rights, and it will only take one word from me for one of my Turks to cause you to have an "accident," or worse..."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"It is perfectly all right to own someone, but it is not so acceptable for them to know it. It takes away their illusions of security."

"But...you don't legally own the public, but you legally own the Jenova volunteers. Sir, what do you plan to do with that power?"

"That is my affair, Dr. Gast."

"Sir...the Turk you sent with us, Vincent Valentine, is Dr. Hojo's half-brother."

"...What?"

"They share the same father. I also know that Vincent deeply cares for Mrs. Hojo, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had a thing or two to say about the ownership rights when he finds out. As a Turk, he could be privy to such information."

"Well, if he becomes too much trouble, I'll replace him with another Turk. That should take care of things." Normally, Shinra would probably just have the thorn in his side "disappear," but the Turks were valuable and their coldness was difficult to come by. No, it would do merely to have Vincent Valentine relocated. Besides, Turks weren't supposed to become too emotionally attached to anything anyway. If Vincent still showed signs of concern for the Hojos after being relocated, then he would probably have to be _permanently_ dealt with.

"I have given this a good deal of thought," the President said, "and it would suit our purposes more if the child was raised separately from his or her parents."

Gast blinked, "What do you mean?"

"You heard me. The child will grow up under our constant surveillance. We must have his or her complete obedience, and such a thing is not possible with the influence of a mother and a father."

"But...the Hojos will not be willing to give up their child so easily. Mrs. Hojo would rather die."

Shinra leaned forward, "If that must happen, then so be it."

Gast swallowed hard. He had never dreamed it would come to this. He would tell Dr. Hojo first; perhaps Hojo would see reason in the situation and be able to persuade Lucrecia to consent. But then, Hojo would probably want to kill Gast for selling him and his family to the Shinra without Hojo's knowledge. But it was the "laboratory specimen"law; a secret law, but a law: _Since it is a laboratory specimen, theJenova creature is the property of Shinra, down to the last cell. Therefore, if for any reasonthe cells inhabit a certain individual, that individual becomes a laboratoryspecimen, and must belong to Shinra as well. No exceptions._

That "fine print" law had been made even before the scientists left for Nibelheim. President Shinra had made sure that he would have every say in the scientific activities concerning the creature if there was the remotest possibility that the thing was an Ancient. The law would only be made public as a last resort to maintain control. As he had said, Shinra knew that people must have the illusion of freedom. There would be less dissention that way. But the law was still binding. The Hojos, without their knowledge, had sold themselves to the Shinra. Gast felt sick; he himself had not known about the law until after he had written the letter to the President suggesting that the Hojos' child be infused. Gast was not by nature an emotional or compassionate man, but his coldness not so much steered towards human beings as it was laboratory specimens. Now he had to live with the fact that he had turned three human beings _into_ laboratory specimens. He had a high respect for Dr. Hojo, but any friendship they had would be torn after this was brought to light.

Gast's blood was running cold and his nerves were numb as he left President Shinra's office, going down the stairs. He saw Rosem on the next floor.

"Hey, Dr. Gast!" Rosem cheerily waved, "You're back! Are Hojo and Lucrecia here too?"

"No, they're not," Gast bitterly replied, "If you will excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

"Hey, why the long face?"

"Just leave me alone!" Gast snapped as he walked past the puzzled physicist towards the elevator.

Rosem stared after him, wide-eyed. Gast had never lost his temper before. What was Gast doing here anyway? Were Hojo and Lucrecia still in Nibelheim? He could only assume they were. Rosem made up his mind to write to his friend after getting home that day.

_Author's note: See? Dr. Gast isn't _that_ bad. He just made a couple of very big mistakes._


	13. Betrayed

**Disclaimer: **Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making money off of this.

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Betrayed**

"What...?" Hojo stood alone in front of the mirror in the dark bathroom. He had shut the door when he noticed something strange while washing his hands after using the restroom. He hadn't turned on the lights so he wouldn't disturb his wife. The moon that night was full and gave the suite enough light through the windows so Hojo could navigate to the restroom. But it was unmistakable. He turned the lights on, and no difference could be noted. Apparently it couldn't be detected when there was sufficient light, but in the pitch black, it was obvious.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Lucrecia was knocked on the bathroom door. Either she had to go to the restroom as well or had heard the door shut, "I know you're in there. Why don't you have the lights on?"

Quickly, Hojo turned on the light switch so his wife wouldn't see his…difference. Then he opened the door to find his wife standing there with her arms crossed above her round stomach.

He replied, "…Nothing's wrong. Do you need to go?"

"I thought I heard you say something."

"It's nothing, it's…"

"No, I know you. Something's wrong."

Hojo looked away, "I think something's happening to me…"

"What do you mean?"

"…It might be the injections." Hojo gently took his wife's arm and pulled her into the bathroom, "I don't want to frighten you, Lucrecia," he shut the door, "but it's going to come out sooner or later. I'd rather you know now." He turned the lights off.

"Know wh…? Hojo!" Lucrecia exclaimed in surprise as she looked at her husband's face in the darkness, "Your eyes!"

They were glowing, like glow-in-the-dark paper that didn't look unusual in the light, but showed its true nature in the shadows. And now that Hojo had a chance to think about it, he wondered if this would happen to Lucrecia as well.

Lucrecia also thought of that, "You said it might be the injections…"

"Captain Tamrelan, after we gave him the Mako infusions, started to have the same symptoms as well."

"But why would Jenova cells and Mako have the same effect on the eyes?"

"I don't know."

"We need to tell Dr. Gast; he's getting back tomorrow… But, Hojo, we could see Tamrelan's eyes glowing in the light. Why are yours different?"

"I don't know; it may have something to do with the eye color."

Lucrecia bit her lip, "Let's go to bed."

"Everything will be all right; I'm certain it's innocuous."

And he _was_ certain. It had startled him at first, to be sure, but once he thought about it, there was probably going to be no negative results from this change.

_The next day…_

Dr. Gast appeared a little more sober than usual when he arrivedand the news about Hojo's eyes didn't seem to interest him a good deal. However, he did give Hojo the obligatory interrogation. Did it affect his seeing ability? Did he have anymore buzzing in the ears? Anymore voices? The answers to all of these questions were surprisingly no. Things in Hojo's mind had been rather quiet during the past couple of days. But he didn't expect it to last forever.

Dr. Gast then took the time to examine Lucrecia, and everything was going along smoothly. He told her that she should probably expect to have the same glowing in her eyes in a few weeks, because she had taken her injection only a little while after Hojo. But the baby's heartbeat was still strong and Lucrecia's blood pressure was normal for pregnancy.

Vincent Valentine met them in the stairwell after the three scientists emerged from the secret passageway.

"How did the trip go?" he asked Dr. Gast.

"Uh…It went just fine," Dr. Gast replied, "Mr. Valentine, I actually need to speak with you."

"Okay."

"Alone."

"…All right."

Hojo and Lucrecia went to the kitchen to get some lunch, and Vincent joined Dr. Gast in the secret library. Once they were there and the door was shut, Gast turned to Vincent and spoke, "After Lucrecia's injection, the president sent me some…classified information."

"And I take it I need to know about it as well."

"Yes; I will need your assistance."

"Very well."

Gast took a deep breath and tried to find words to explain the ownership rights, but he couldn't. He said, "Wait a moment," and he fumbled through his briefcase to get the letter and the documents concerning the law. Perhaps it would be better if Vincent just saw it for himself. Then he thought, what if Vincent _did_ react negatively to this? The more Gast thought about it, the more he knew that Vincent could not know about this, or else. Vincent's temper was such that he might wish to do something about it if he thought that Lucrecia and his half-brother were being wronged. And if he actually brought it to the public light…

He put aside his briefcase and said, "No…Vincent, I'm sorry. Something's been brought to my attention. You can go about your business."

Vincent stood questioningly staring at Dr. Gast for a moment, but then nodded and left the library.

_Two weeks later…_

"Transferred?" Vincent's eyebrows were raised, "What do you mean, transferred?"

"That's what the order says, Vincent," Dr. Gast answered, holding the letter in front of him, "The President wants you back in Midgar. No questions asked."

"But what have I...?"

"No questions asked."

Vincent took the letter given to him and read it, and reread it. It had the president's signature, and his smooth way of putting things. But why would the president _himself_…? It didn't make sense. And why did the president write it to Dr. Gast and not to him? But he knew he shouldn't be too surprised. The president saw the Turks as nothing but instruments of dirty work and protection. But he had done nothing so far to dissatisfy the president with his work, except maybe a bout with Dr. Hojo every now and then. But that wasn't really significant.

The letter said that Vincent was to leave the moment the truck arrived with the replacement. Dr. Gast had shrewdly waited until the truck came and Vincent came to him asking him why the vehicle was there. Hojo and Lucrecia were in town and unaware of what was going on. Vincent had barely enough time to get his things together.

In fact, Hojo and Lucrecia didn't even know of his departure until they came back to the mansion and met the Turk that the president sent to replace Vincent. His name was Garron Mickleson. He was as tall as Vincent was, but his build was more powerful. He had ashen blond hair and colder eyes than Vincent's. Lucrecia was instantly afraid of him and even Hojo was wondering if Vincent was the lesser of two evils. But Dr. Gast had told them that Vincent had wished to leave. He didn't say why. Hojo and Lucrecia both secretly thought up their own theory. Lucrecia thought that maybe Vincent still had feelings for her and thought it best to leave, and, though it seemed odd, Hojo didn't disagree. The subject was dropped, even though Hojo found himself missing Vincent, just a _little_. They had a more pressing issue to address. Besides her advancing pregnancy, Lucrecia's eyes had developed a glow as well, not two days after Vincent left.

Shinra Inc. sent a medical doctor to Nibelheim to deliver the baby when the time came. The woman's name was Dr. Alexa Hemin. She was approaching her forties and was an experienced physician. Butthere was nofeeling in her eyes. Lucrecia immediately didn't like her, and, coupled withfear of the new Turk,was feeling more and more insecure. Hojo promised that he would make sure that nothing happened to the baby, but he didn't take to the new doctor either.

"They don't know, do they?" Hemin asked Dr. Gast when they were alone in the library.

Dr. Gast had been measuring out a chemical when his colleague spoke. He slowly put down the bottle and test tube and sighed, "How do I tell them?"

"Since when did _you_ become so soft..."

"They're human beings..."

"...And grow a conscience?"

"They're not animals! You know I _never_ wanted to treat a human being as such!"

"And what's the difference between a human and an animal...?"

"Don't start! They're...They're my friends..."

"They're the property of President Shinra, and they will be treated accordingly. And if you don't like it, you can take it up with the President, and I think we both know how that could turn out. Shinra is beginning to dominate. Soon, they will rule the world. We cannot go against the President's wishes. And besides, this is the opportunity of a lifetime."

Gast bitterly spoke, "I see they've picked the perfect person for this."

"What do you mean?"

"The heartless task of taking a child away from his parents."

"You have done nothing to prevent it, so you can keep your righteous talk for yourself. I've no use for it."

Gast said nothing, but looked away. What had he become? True, he had been guilty of coldness in the past, but he could never bring himself to think of his own associates as the same as the animals in the glass cages in the Shinra laboratories. His conscience had been weighing heavily on him during the last few months. Perhaps...Perhaps he shouldn't have been so cruel to the animals. Maybe he could have seen this coming easier, and maybe he could have had the courage within him to warn the Hojos of the dangers and help them escape and face the consequences himself. No, he knew what he was now: a coward, plain and simple. And Hojo and Lucrecia would hate him. And maybe even Vincent Valentine would seek vengence on him. Gast realized that he was only becoming more fearful; but what choice did he have? He had no cause to be brave, nor did he have the will.

_At the beginning of winter..._

"Lucrecia," Hojo turned over after being awakened from his sleep by his wife's movement; it was about one o'clock in the morning. He asked, "Are you all right?"

Lucrecia was definitely not all right; at least, not in the normal sense. She was curled up, her legs coming up as far as her distended stomach would allow. She was firmly clutching her pillow and the bedsheets. Hojo could hear her strained breathing.

"The baby's coming..." she gasped out.

"...Is this your first pain?" he asked while turning on the bedroom light. He could then see how red Lucrecia's face was from the contraction. He put his hand on her back, and he could feel the sweat through her nightgown.

"No...it's about my third or fourth."

Hojo's eyebrows raised, "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I didn't want it to be a false alarm..."

"Well, never mind. Just relax..." Hojo started to get out of bed and grabbed his glasses off of the nightstand, "I'll go get Gast and Dr. Hemin."

"Please don't leave me..."

"I have to fetch them, dear."

"I mean...don't leave me with them."

"You know I won't do that. Now, try to relax and I'll be back in a few moments."

It was a relief, actually. Lucrecia was a week overdue. They were going to induce labor in another week from now. Lucrecia really didn't want any drugs put into her, and really the reason why they waited so long was because all of the others were cautious about it as well. They didn't know how the Jenova cells would react to certain drugs. Dr. Hemin and Dr. Gast got up and got into their scrubs as quickly as they could. Hojo would wear scrubs as well. It had been discussed, and it was decided that Lucrecia would deliver the baby in the bedroom.It was too much to askLucrecia to go down to the darklibrary and give birth.Hojo sat beside his wife on the bed while Hemin examined her, and she held onto his hand, squeezing it with every contraction.

Although Dr. Hemin insisted that first births always took the longest, Hojo and Lucrecia both thought that it was taking too long. Her pains continued into the morning, then noon, and on into the afternoon. Lucrecia's labor got worse and worse, but Hojo could walk her around the room between contractions until evening came. Her water broke at about two-forty-three in the afternoon. Around seven-thirty at night, Lucrecia leaned against the bed and started crying. Dr. Gast and Dr. Hemin had left the room and would come back in a little while.

"I don't..." she said, "I don't want towalk anymore!"

"You don't have to," Hojo said, "Just lie down now."

"How much longer?" Lucrecia asked.

"Well, you haven't even started pushing yet. A few hours, I suppose."

"Ohhh..." Lucrecia pressed her head against the cool pillow. Hojo rubbed her bare legs and feet. Her contraction eased, so she relaxed a little. She murmured, "They say that a mother forgets her pain after she sees her baby. Well, seeing the baby must be _something_." She chuckled weakly, "Must be a boy. Girls aren't this stubborn."

"Unless it's a girl that takes after _you_."

Lucrecia smirked, "How horrid of you, Dr. Hojo; teasing me in my delicate condition."

But then another pain came and the banter was forgotten. Dr. Gast and Dr. Hemin came in a few minutes later to monitor her progress. The baby was turned the right way; they had made sure to check _that_ even before Lucrecia's labor had started. The night wore on, and Dr. Hemin and Gast didn't leave the room again. When Lucrecia passed the twenty-four hour mark, the time came for her to push. And, unfortunately, hers was one of the cases where pushing the baby out took up to three hours. During the whole time, Lucrecia wailed and pushed at the same time. Hojo had lost feeling in his hand where Lucrecia was holding tight onto it, but he didn't seem to notice. But he maintained hold of his nerve.

Lucrecia was moaning, "I can't! I can't do this..."

"Yes, you can," Hojo managed to keep his voice steady.

"What's taking so long...?"

"You're almost there."

"Just push, Mrs. Hojo," Hemin said, "push when the contractions come."

It was only a few moments after that when Lucrecia gave her final effort. Her grip on Hojo's hand lessened when the sound of a baby's mewling replaced her own cries. Hojo looked up and saw the squirming and bloody infant kicking about in Hemin's hands. Gast was holding out a thick, clean blanket to put the baby in. Hojo watched while Hemin tied and cut the umbilical cord and used a bulb syringe to suck the excess residue out of the infant's nose and mouth. The baby was a boy.

"Is it all right?" Lucrecia panted, "Is my baby all right?"

Hemin replied, "He's healthy, as far as I can tell. And normal; ten fingers, ten toes..."

"He? It's a boy?"

"As soon as we clean him and get him all wrapped up, we'll take him down to the lab for further tests. And we need to make sure your placenta is properly delivered."

"May I see him?" Lucrecia asked, holding her arms out.

"We need to do the tests as quickly as possible," Hemin coldly said.

Hojo was taken aback. He looked at Dr. Gast, but Dr. Gast seemed to purposely avoiding his gaze. Why wouldn't Dr. Hemin let Lucrecia hold her own child, if only for a moment? Lucrecia was puzzled, but she seemed to understand. Using all of her strength, Lucrecia pushed herself up so she could get a good look at the baby. She smiled and watched while Hemin cleaned him. Hojo was amazed that his wife hadn't passed out by now. It seemed what people said was true; a woman's joy at seeing her baby overcomes past pain.

"Oh," Lucrecia cooed, reaching her arm towards her son, "he's _beautiful_."

She had to lie back down to deliver the afterbirth. After Lucrecia and the baby were both clean, Hemin walked out of the room with the little boy in her arms and Dr. Gast followed.

"How peculiar..." Hojo murmured to himself, a little put out that he and Lucrecia hadn't had the opportunity to hold their son, "they didn't say anything about extra tests to _me_."

Lucrecia heard him, "Well...she's a medical doctor. She probably knows more. Oh, Hojo, he's the most perfect baby I've ever seen."

"I'll go down there and make sure everything's all right," Hojo tucked his wife in, "And _you_ get some rest."

"We're going to name him Sephiroth, aren't we?"

"...Yes, we are."

"I love you," Lucrecia smiled.

"...I love you too."

Lucrecia smiled and closed her eyes. Hojo was tired as well; almost dizzy from it. But he was too concerned about exactly what Dr. Gast and Dr. Hemin were up to. He left the bedroom and silently went down the hall to Dr. Gast's bedroom, where the secret passage was. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could hear his son's crying from the library doorway, which had been left open. He quietly stole into the laboratory and looked in the back. The baby was lying in a glass-walled cradle and Gast and Hemin were standing over it. Hojo was startled when he saw Dr. Hemin poke a needle into the boy's foot, which they had pulled out of the blanket. The baby wailed in protestation.

Garron Mickleson, who had been missing in action throughout Lucrecia's labor, was standing against the wall, near the passageway that led to the back of the library. Hojo eyed him warily, but Garron seemed to pay no mind to him. Hojo crept to the cradle and stood behind Gast.

"His heartbeat is regular," Hemin said, "He's maintaining body temperature more than a normal infant..."

His colleagues didn't seem to be up to mischief, so Hojo just took a moment to look at his son. Little Sephiroth's face was red from crying. He had a head full of black hair, but as Hojo stared at it, it seemed that there were silver hairs intermixed with it. Hojo supposed that this was a trait inherited from Lucrecia. But the rest of the hair was black, not brown. Hojo wondered if the baby's eyes already had the strange glow that his and Lucrecia's had acquired. But it continued crying, sounding more frightened than angry.

Gast and Hemin jerked around once they realized that someone was standing behind them. "Dr. Hojo," Hemin said, "what are you doing here?"

Her tone was accusing, but Hojo didn't flinch (although he felt like something was terribly wrong). He said, "I just came to see if all was well."

"He's healthy," Gast declared, "Perfectly healthy. He weighs nine pounds and four ounces."

"Good." Hojo circled around the cradle until he was on the opposite side from Gast and Hemin. Sephiroth was a tiny child, no matter what his birth weight was. He was totally dependent on those around him. And he was afraid; that much was obvious. Hojo gently brushed his finger against the infant's cheek, trying to sooth him. Sephiroth responded to the touch, calming down and opening his eyes. Yes, they had a glow, even more so than Hojo and Lucrecia's. And they were green.

Hemin spoke with amazement, "I've never seen a newborn react like that..."

"It would be all right to hold him _now_, wouldn't it?" Hojo asked.

"Dr. Hojo..." Hemin said, narrowing her eyes at the black-haired scientist, "I must ask you to come with me. I must explain something to you."

Gast groaned and turned away, clenching his fists. Hojo was puzzled, but stepped away with Dr. Hemin. They walked to the other section of the library. Sephiroth had begun to cry again. Hojo turned his head towards the cradle with irritation. He wanted to be with his son; he hoped that Hemin's message would be brief. When he looked back at Dr. Hemin again, Hemin had pulled a file filled with documents out of one of the desk drawers. Hojo had never seen it before.

"Read this," the folder was placed in Hojo's hands.

He opened it, and the first paper was a letter from the President to Dr. Gast, asking how the new experiment was coming along. The next paper was also a letter from the President, commanding that the Hojos' child be used in the Jenova Project. Of course, these were things that Hojo had already known about. But the next letter was the President's command to send Vincent Valentine away. It also stated the exact time that Garron Mickleson was to arrive. Hojo turned towards Dr. Gast, who was nervously fidgeting at the other side of the library.

He asked, "You _knew_ that Vincent was...?"

"Read on, Dr. Hojo," Hemin said.

Resisting the urge to huff, Hojo looked at the next paper. What he saw made his skin numb. At first, he really didn't understand it. He thought that it couldn't possibly mean what it looked like it meant. It was a photocopy of a document from the amendments to the law of the Shinra. "**Laboratory Specimens**" the heading read, apparently for lack of a more creative term. The Jenova creature had become the property of Shinra. And whoever had Jenova...in them...were property as well, because they were laboratory specimens. That meant that Hojo, Lucrecia, and Sephiroth were essentially slaves.

Hojo felt cold, through and through. But he managed to retain his composure. The only exterior evidence of Hojo's anxiety the slight parting of his lips. Hemin remarked, "Well, you're taking it rather well."

Hojo gritted his teeth and glared up at the medical doctor, "Take it _well_? Does the fact that my entire family belo..._belongs_ to...? What difference does it make? Why are you showing me this?"

"I suppose I could simply tell you. You see, your son is very important to this Project. He has the most potential to develop the powers of the Cetra. Already, he is showing signs of great strength and intelligence. The President has decided that it is simply not enough for the boy to grow up under over constant survelliance. Something else must be done. We must have his complete obedience."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Hojo asked. Hemin sounded more like a machine programmed for destruction with each passing moment. Hojo was in such a haze he didn't hear Garron Mickleson coming through the corridor.

"I'm afraid that in order to have his complete obedience, the child must grow up separately from other sources of authority. That includes parents."

"...What did you just say?"

"I think you heard me."

"You're...going to take him away from us?"

"You don't necessarily have to give up all contact with him. But your rights as parents have been declared forfeit. He is not to know thatyou're his parents. His parents will be the scientists who surround him."

Hojo's faced began to turn red, "You...You can't do this! He's our son!"

"Not anymore," Hemin sneered towards the documents, "There is a legal paper signing the guardianship of the child over to Shinra Inc. It bears Dr. Gast's signature."

The file and papers fell from Hojo's weakened grip, "Dr. Gast?"

"He is the head of the Jenova Project and the keeper of specimens; that gives him the right. All the paper needs now is a name for the child. You _will_ cooperate, or Mr. Garron will have to take extreme measures against you and your wife."

Hojo then felt something cold and hard pressing against the back of his head. He turned to find Garron standing behind him with the barrel of his automatic handgun pointed between Hojo's eyes. Little Sephiroth was still crying. Dr. Gast was cringing in a corner, too absorbed in his own shame to pay any mind to the infant's wails. His face was buried in one hand, and with the other he pulled at his hair. For several moments, Hojo's grief intermingled with his anger and shock, and he could not move or speak or do anything save keep a gaping look on his face. He looked past Garron's bulky form towards the glass cradle in the front part of the library, where he could see his child's tiny limbs kicking and flailing about while he cried, begging for a little attention. The desire to take his son up in his arms and comfort him and the knowledge that he would never be able to do so nearly took the breath out of Hojo's body. He would have crumpled to the ground if Garron hadn't grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back up.

"You may decide _outside_," Hemin coldly spoke, "Garron..."

Garron began to drag the black-haired scientist through the corridor. Stumbling along the ground somewhat brought Hojo back to his senses, and he was able to get a good look at his boss. He then remembered his anger. Dr. Gast had known that all of this was going on, and he had never thought to warn Hojo and Lucrecia. He had even signed the paper that took Sephiroth away from them permanently. Hojo knew that Gast was cold towards specimens, but how could he do this? Obviously, the man felt shame, but shame after the fact did not make up for the act itself. The deed was done. Then Hojo's eyes went once again to the baby.

"Sephiroth..." he muttered, too overcome with shock to say anything else, "Sephiroth..."

"What is he talking about?" Hemin asked.

Gast finally spoke up, his voice hoarse, "That's what they planned to name the baby if it was a boy."

"Sephiroth..." Hemin thought for a moment, "...it has a noble ring to it...Sephiroth..." But Hojo didn't hear anymore after he was thrown outside into the dark hallway. He collapsed to his hands and knees. The lump in his throat was making it difficult to breathe. He jumped back up and faced the door, putting his hands on it and almost turning the knob. Then he remembered Garron's gun. But what was he going to do? What _could_ he do? And what was he going to tell Lucrecia?

No...the thought of telling all of this to Lucrecia was unbearable. But Hojo would have to do it. He _had_ to be the one to do it; he couldn't let that horrible woman explain it to his wife. Lucrecia had wanted the child so badly. _He_ had wanted the child. And now...how could they do this to them? It was cruel, inhuman. If Dr. Gast had known what was going to happen (as he obviously did), why didn't he warn Hojo and Lucrecia so perhaps they could make some sort of plan? If anything could have been done, it was too late now. Hojo stumbled through the dank corridor and made his way up the stairs. He gasped for air, and exhaled in little sobs. He would go outside and walk. Let Lucrecia rest for now, in peace. And he didn't want to give anyone the chance to hear him weep.


	14. An Even Deeper Hole

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein, and she is not making money off it either.

**Chapter Fourteen**

**An Even Deeper Hole**

Hojo had come back from roaming around outside, and he went to the kitchen to wash his face. He had moved from raging grief to a state of absolute shock. He didn't know what time it was, or even what day it was. If was as if his subconscious was trying not to remember the night's events. He looked out of the window over sink; dawn was breaking. But Hojo could find no encouragement. Sephiroth was lost to him, and he still had to tell Lucrecia. He felt ill all of a sudden, and he vomited into the sink. It wasn't the first time; this time the only stuff he could produce was bile. He hadn't eaten for hours and hours. He had managed to get in a short nap before the baby was born, at Lucrecia's insistence, but lack of sleep was starting to catch up with him. He was used to going a long time without food and sleep, but he still felt weak. He turned on the faucet, took in some of the water, swished it around in his mouth and spat it out to clear away the taste of bile.

**A terrible injustice…They must pay for it; they must _all_ pay for it.**

_What can I do? If I try anything, they'll kill me and Lucrecia. But there must **something** I can do…_

"Dr. Hojo?" a voice softly whispered from the doorway. Hojo turned around to find Dr. Gast standing there. Hojo narrowed his eyes and turned back around towards the sink, making it clear that he didn't want to hear anything that his boss had to say.

"Dr. Hojo," Gast said, "please try to understand. I didn't know about the law until after the experiment was performed…"

Hojo scrapped his fingernails on the counter, "You still knew for a good while before this; you still signed the paper that took him away from us! All to save your own skin," Hojo turned around and sardonically sneered, "Oh, I _do_ understand; we all must fight in our own ways to survive, even if it means handing over your cohorts and their only child to a living hell! I don't know how, Gast, and I don't know when, but someday I will make you pay for this. You will suffer so much, you'll squeal like a pig before I'm done with you."

The blood was drained from Dr. Gast's face, but he tried to pretend that Hojo didn't just say all of that, "Dr. Hemin…requires your presence in the laboratory. It's a minor experiment, come from Midgar…Please, Hojo, you must control yourself. If not for your and Lucrecia's sake, do it for Sephiroth. You must not give any indication that you will try to take Sephiroth away. It could be disastrous. Please, come. We need to show them that you have no objections."

Hojo gritted his teeth and glared at Gast for a moment before silently agreeing by walking towards the doorway.

_In Hojo and Lucrecia's bedroom…_

Lucrecia stirred awake from her sleep, thinking about what had happened. She moved around, amazed that she wasn't nearly as sore as she thought she would be after being in labor for so long and delivering a child. She looked at the clock. It was eight in the morning. Why hadn't Hojo come back yet with the baby? Surely they were done with tests by now. Maybe they were all asleep, but why hadn't Hojo returned? She then thought that perhaps he was sleeping elsewhere so not to disturb her. But there was something strange in the air. She couldn't comprehend it at first.

**It seems rather odd, doesn't it? Where _is_ dear Hojo? And Dr. Gast? What if they're in the library, performing experiments on little Sephiroth…?**

"_No, that's silly,"_ Lucrecia thought, _"why on earth would…?"_

But Lucrecia's thoughts went back to the time when Hojo convinced her to let their child be infused with the Jenova cells. Doubt began to creep into her mind. It _had_ been his idea, and he had seemed to relish the idea. But no, Dr. Gast had been the one to suggest the experiment in the first place. Hojo had readily agreed to it, though.

"_But Hojo would never let anything happen to us. He loves me, and he loves Sephiroth."_

**Hojo…is ambitious.**

"_But he loves us…_"

**But does he?**

"…_Doesn't he?"_

**He doesn't.**

"_Doesn't?"_

**Does not.**

"_But he wouldn't lie…"_

**He lies.**

"_He wouldn't!_"

**He would.**

"_Would not!"_

**Go see.**

For a moment, Lucrecia thought she was going insane, but then the inner struggle stopped. She supposed that it was just post-partum hormones. What else could it have been? Nothing else crossed her mind. Her only thought now was going downstairs and seeing for herself that her little baby was all right. She winced as she sat up, but it didn't hurt as bad as before. In fact, she was feeling a good deal better. She found her slippers on the floor and put them on. She couldn't find her bathrobe, but her lab coat was hanging on the door and there were some slippers on the floor. It would do just as well. She grabbed a flashlight and headed for the hallway.

Different thoughts were running through her head as she made the journey from her bedroom to the library. Hojo _had_ seemed to grow a little more distant since the experiment. He was more irritable at some times and colder at other times. But that was just Hojo's nature, wasn't it? He wasn't a very emotional person. From the first time she had met him, he was always very quiet and logical. He did things and said things that she would never say herself, but that's what made them do so well for each other.

But it still begged the question, what was going on? She passed by the other bedroom and found that the doors were open and nobody else was in there. Then she went to the bedroom where the secret passage was. Garron had been staying in that room, and he was nowhere to be seen. Lucrecia rubbed her lips together in nervousness and headed for the hidden stairwell, expecting to be caught by either Hemin or the Turk Garron at any moment.

Nobody found her while she quietly walked down the stairs. Her arms and legs were a little shaky still, but she was able to keep her balance and hold the flashlight at the same time. She could not hear anything going on in the laboratory. She supposed that Sephiroth was asleep. As she walked down the dank corridor to the library, she could hear Dr. Gast's voice. She turned off the flashlight shortly before she reached the cracked door.

"_Why am I sneaking around?"_ she thought, _"It's not like there's anything wrong."_

But there _was_ something wrong. She pushed the door open to find Dr. Gast and her husband leaning over a table in the front section of the library. Sephiroth was not there. All right, so her silly superstitions about them doing horrible experiments on her baby were wrong. So much the better. She shuffled in.

"Hojo? Dr. Gast?" she spoke, "Where's Sephiroth?"

The two scientists both turned around, startled at the sound of Lucrecia's voice. Hojo knew that she could not be in here. She could ruin everything. In order for Dr. Hemin not to take drastic measures against him and Lucrecia, they had to convince her that they would not do anything rash. Fortunately, at this present time, Dr. Hemin was in her room asleep. But Garron was still in the back room, guarding the sleeping Sephiroth. Hojo started walking towards his wife.

"He's asleep," he answered, "Lucrecia, you shouldn't be in here. You need to be in bed…"

"I'm all right, Hojo. Really, I am. I just wanted to see Sephiroth."

Hojo took Lucrecia by the shoulders, "You'll see him eventually. Lucrecia, there's something I need to explain to you."

"Why can't I see him now? What's wrong with him?"

"_Nothing's_ wrong with him. But you can't…"

Lucrecia's brow furrowed, "What are you hiding from me, Hojo?"

Hojo swallowed, and then said, "Lucrecia, please, you need to leave here and go back to your room. I'll explain everything there…"

"Just let me see him! I just want to see our baby!"

Hojo knew he had no choice. He pushed Lucrecia out of the library into the dark corridor. She dropped her flashlight, surprised at Hojo's sudden show of force. She protested that he was hurting her, but he nearly dragged all the way to the staircase and sharply ordered her to be quiet. She held back tears, furious with his treatment of her. She would give him a piece of his mind. Why was he doing this?

**He wants to keep me away from my baby…**

_He wants to keep me away!_

"Hojo, why are you doing this?" Lucrecia asked once they were in the empty bedroom at the top of the secret stairwell.

"Lucrecia, trust me, it's for your own good."

"I refuse to take another step until you explain what's going on!"

Hojo gritted his teeth. How was he going to explain this? He words came out dumbly, "Lucrecia…something has happened. We…We can't keep Sephiroth. He…"

Lucrecia gasped, "What do you mean we can't keep him?"

"…It's the experiment. The government is taking him as a ward. We were…"

"The experiment? But…you said nothing would happen!"

"Lucrecia, please listen to me. There was nothing I could do!"

**He lied…**

"You lied to me!"

"Lucrecia, stop this! You're not being rational…"

"Rational? You're telling me that my child, _my_ child, that I carried for nine months and gave birth to is no longer my own and you want me to act _rational_? You're not even letting me see him!"

"Lucrecia…"

"You and Dr. Gast have been planning this all along, haven't you?"

"Lucrecia!" Hojo could barely believe his wife's behavior, "Stop this at once!"

With all that he had gone through the night before, the horrible instance when he realized that Sephiroth was no longer his, the terrible hours of walking outside in the cold air with no one but misery for company, the moments of mindless self-pity in the kitchen, and the wretched cooperation with Dr. Gast in the library, something inside of Hojo was not surprised when Lucrecia slapped him across the face and stormed towards their bedroom. His body would not respond to what she did; all he could do was dumbly stand still in shock. He needed sleep. His life was running through his hands like water, and there was precious little he could do about it. Lucrecia was in no state to speak to him right now. He would wait a few moments. But he could not sleep; he _must_ not sleep.

He numbly walked to the stairs that led to the main foyer and sat down. He felt a wave of dizziness go through his head. He grasped onto the railing, his fingernails digging into the wood, refusing to faint or go to sleep. He wanted to go to sleep, but he _couldn't_. He couldn't go to sleep with so many issues unresolved. He could still not believe that this was happening. He had wanted a good career as a scientist. He had wanted to have a happy marriage with Lucrecia. He had wanted…even now he wanted to hold his son, just once. Even _that_ was impossible. What he wanted did not seem to matter so much anymore. Would it matter if he ever got what he wanted again? After all, he didn't really want to live right now, but there he was.

Breathing and feeling were both very difficult at this time. He knew he should feel grief, but deadness permeated his system. It was as if he were living in a surreal dream. Perhaps it was his lack of sleep. Perhaps he had cried too much the night before.

"Well, what are you doing _here_, Dr. Hojo?" Dr. Hemin's cruel voice spoke from behind him, "shouldn't you be downstairs helping Dr. Gast?"

Hojo then remembered another thing he wanted but probably wouldn't get at that moment: Hemin's severed head on a silver platter, with a fork and knife beside it and an apple in her mouth. Oh, yes, he _was_ in need of a good night's sleep.

"He gave me a break," Hojo lied.

"I see."

"I have tried to tell Lucrecia about the guardianship rights; she didn't want to listen to me…"

"Is that so?"

"I will get her to see reason, make no mistake. She just…needs some time to herself."

"Hmm…"

Now Hojo thought he was seeing images of jack o' lanterns with skirts flitting about the foyer. Maybe _they_ would kill Hemin and Garron. He quickly shook his head and the images were gone. Was he going crazy?

"Are you all right?" Hemin noted his action with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm…just tired. I'm going to go check on Lucrecia."

Hojo wearily stood up, walked past Dr. Hemin, and headed for his and Lucrecia's bedroom. The door was shut. Hojo listened for a moment, expecting to hear Lucrecia's crying. But there was nothing. He knocked on the door.

"Lucrecia?"

There was no answer. Hojo had expected to hear Lucrecia sobbing or her shouting at him to go away. Hojo turned the doorknob; it was unlocked. He slowly opened the door.

He whispered, "Lucrecia?"

He found her on the floor, sprawled out face down and unconscious. Hojo rushed to help her, and passed out himself.

For a while, Hojo was like a dead man, stone-stiff in a dreamless sleep. There were no voices and no feeling. The last word he had spoken before blacking out was the first word he said when he revived, Lucrecia. She was not there, though. He did not have the strength to open his eyes at first. It was cold where he was. Everything was silent. It was dark. And no one answered him when he moaned Lucrecia's name. Then he tried Vincent, forgetting that Vincent had gone several months ago. When Vincent didn't answer, Hojo called out for Rosem. But of course, Rosem wasn't there. Hojo would call him on the PHS; curse the expenses. Hojo assumed he was in his bed on his side, so he reached to the right, thinking that he would reach the PHS on his nightstand. But his hand hit hard floor.

He finally opened his eyes. He was lying on a blanket laid out on a dirt floor. His glasses were crooked on his face. He straightened them and could see a rocky ceiling, as if he were in the tunnel that led to the library. But this was a closed in room. He turned his head and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a pile of human skulls not too far to his right. He stumbled to his feet, lost his balance, and fell on a coffin, without a lid. Hojo was not the type to lose his head and he had not quite recovered from his long sleep, so it isn't hard to understand why he did not completely panic when he saw the decrepit skeleton staring at him with no eyes.

But he did fall back against another coffin, one that had a lid. The lid fell off and Hojo braced himself for another corpse, but there was nothing in this coffin.

"Like it?"

Hojo sharply turned towards the doorway to find Dr. Gast standing there. He growled, "What am I supposed to like about it?"

"It doesn't look much, but it's the latest in Shinra technology. It's a prison."

"A prison?"

"It keeps someone in stasis perpetually. It could replace prison cells, if it weren't for a cost of the thing. And our president prefers not to take prisoners."

"…Why is it here?"

"Since it is not likely to be used as a prison for a common criminal, only a special person would be placed in it. The President has suggested that Sephiroth be placed in it when he matures, to be called upon when he is needed."

"If Sephiroth is anything like me or Lucrecia, you will have a difficult time getting him into that…Where's Lucrecia?"

"She is very ill. Some of our people have taken her to a rehabilitation facility."

"…How long have I been in here?"

"Three days. You must be thirsty; there are some bottles of water in the…"

"Why did you put me in _here_?"

"You couldn't wake up and interfere with your wife's taking away. …You must have a resistance to drugs. You weren't supposed to wake up for another two days yet."

"You _drugged_ me?"

"Of course."

Hojo knew that it was useless to try to argue. He had to consider Sephiroth's future; he could not alienate himself from these people or get himself killed. But he was still furious. He wanted to grab the doctor by the throat and squeeze until there was no more life left in him.

That was when it occurred to him to ask, "Where is Sephiroth?"

"He has been moved to Midgar. He will be well taken care of."

"You mean under constant surveillance."

"…Yes."

"…And what will happen to me?"

"You will remain here for the time being. You can still be of use to us, Dr. Hojo. You mustn't argue. We will need you for future research…"

"On Sephiroth?"

"…But until that time, you will have to be content with research on the Jenova creature here. We will send you the proper equipment."

_Somewhere in the wilderness near Nibelheim…_

"Where are you taking me?" Lucrecia drowsily moaned as she was forced out of a vehicle by strong, merciless arms. Her blindfold was yanked off and she realized she had been traveling in a submarine. She had only awakened a few minutes ago. She fell upon the grass, unable to catch herself with her hands tied behind her back. There was a waterfall nearby, flowing into a gigantic lake that continued into a river. It was a very beautiful setting, but she didn't have any time to think about it. She was surrounded by at least ten male soldiers in Shinra uniform. One of them had a needle in his hands.

"What's that?" she asked. But he didn't answer her, he merely plunged the needle into her arm and injected the liquid into her veins. Her breathing started to grow very shallow.

"How long will it take?" Another one of the soldiers asked.

"Just a few seconds," the first answered.

Lucrecia began to weep. These men were going to kill her through poison. She lay down on the ground; she could feel her life ebbing away from her by the second. She thought of Hojo; she didn't even let him explain himself. And there was her baby Sephiroth. She had never held him or even touched him. She would die for a crime she didn't know she committed.

But then something remarkable happened. Her heartbeat slowed down to normal and her breathing became easier. She wasn't feeling any weaker. All of the soldiers stared at her incredulously as she sat up, the color returning to her cheeks.

"When is she going to die?" a soldier asked the first one.

He replied, "She should already be dead." He walked to her and roughly put his fingers against her throat. He was holding a gun, so she didn't move or object. He said, "Her pulse is still normal."

"That's odd," said a third one.

"I'll take care of it," spoke the first soldier. He backed away from Lucrecia and pointed his gun at her.

"Oh, please, please," Lucrecia sobbed, tears streaming down her face, "Don't do this! _Don't do this_! What have I done…?"

He fired his gun, three times. Lucrecia felt the bullets hit her body, a burning agony. She thudded into the ground, convincing it was only going to be another moment before the end came. But still she did not die. She had the strangest sensation only a moment later. She could hear an oozing sound and the pain slowly left her body. But she could feel the burning bullets against her skin. She slowly sat up and realized that the bullets had come out of her body, and the flesh had healed.

The soldiers were now terrified. One of them had already run back to submarine. The first soldier was amazed, but his face hardened in resolve.

"Stop sniveling!" he growled at his associates, "Dr. Gast said that she might be difficult to kill. But she won't be able to live if I squeeze the breath out of her!"

"Come on, Jerik!" one of the others soldiers cried, "We'll just leave her here. She can't survive on her own here…"

But Jerik was approaching Lucrecia, "I'll hold her head under the water and drown her!"

He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. There was a brilliant flash of light. The soldier Jerik's mouth opened in a silent scream. He fell to the ground, dead. Lucrecia looked up and saw that the rest of them had fallen as well. Frightening still, she walked from one to another, checking their pulses. They were all dead. Lucrecia sat down for a long time in shock. She heard other people approaching. She stood up and ran as fast as she could to the waterfall.

There was a cave inside of the waterfall; a beautiful cave with glowing walls like glacier ice. There was a throne-like place in the very back of the cave. It must have been a sacred place once. Lucrecia walked to the pinnacle and sat down in it. This was going to be her home now. She couldn't let any other human beings near her now. The Jenova cells must have made her like this, invincible and dangerous. If she killed simply by touching, she deserved to be isolated like this, to die like this. It had all happened so fast, and now this was her fate.

She quietly whispered, "Hojo…I'm so sorry. I should have let you explain yourself… Why did you let them do this, Hojo? Why? You should've known that… It's not fair…I just wanted the baby. I just wanted…Sephiroth. My little child…Sephiroth…"

And she crumpled up in a ball and started to weep bitterly. It wouldn't take her very long to starve to death and die in a place like this. It _shouldn't_.


	15. Unbridled Anger

**Disclaimer:** Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII or the characters therein. And she is not making money off of this. Sorry for the long wait.

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Unbridled Anger**

"What's a baby doing here?" Dr. Edward Rosem poked his head into the main laboratory on the 68th floor of Shinra Inc. He had heard crying and followed it from the physics lab. Dr. Hemin and Dr. Gast were standing nearby a table. Dr. Gast was holding the wailing baby, which was wrapped in a blue blanket. Without waiting for an answer (and completely missing the horrific scowl on Dr. Hemin's face), Rosem walked into the laboratory. He had always loved little kids. He went on, "He's a cute little fellow."

"Are you on the clock, Dr. Rosem?" Dr. Hemin spoke coldly.

As usual, Rosem completely missed the hint; whether or not he missed it on purpose is another matter. He said, "It's my coffee break." He waved at the baby, "Hey, little guy! Is he yours, Dr. Gast?"

"Er, no…" Dr. Gast replied, and then he cleared his throat.

"Whose is he? Hey…I know! He…"

"Rosem!" Gast interrupted, "This is Sephiroth; he is a ward of the state."

"…Oh." Rosem blinked, "What kind of a name is 'Sephiroth'?"

"If you don't mind, Dr. Rosem," Hemin hissed, "we need to be getting on with our business. I suggest you get on with yours."

However grudgingly, Rosem took the hint that time.

_In the Shinra HQ lobby…_

"_Oh, no; not him_…" Dr. Gast thought as he past by Vincent Valentine, who was standing near a snack machine. He hoped that Vincent would ignore him. He had just received a letter from the soldiers in the other continent saying that if anyone asked, he was to say that Lucrecia Hojo took her own life. He had sent a consoling letter to Hojo that morning. It was a cowardly way to do it, but Gast had no choice; he would not confront Hojo. But there would be no such luck with Vincent.

"Dr. Gast…" Vincent approached him, "I haven't heard anything from my brother or his wife. How's she doing? She should have had the baby by now."

"…She _did_ have the baby. It's a boy, named Sephiroth," Gast was not sure if Lucrecia had actually killed herself or if she had suffered a violent death at the hands of Shinra soldiers, but he knew that he had a large hand in her fate. He hoped that the horror of what he had done would translate itself into horror at hearing about suicide, "She suffered severe post-partum depression."

Vincent blinked, "What do you mean 'suffered'?"

Gast and Dr. Hemin had talked about what to do with the two brothers, Hojo and Vincent. They had showed developing closeness during the stay at Nibelheim. The reason the President had them separated was that in viewing both of their track records, there would be little to stop them if they united, with Hojo being the brains and Vincent the brawn. If Hojo was to tell Vincent the truth of what happened, Vincent would no doubt side with him. Gast and Hemin had discussed the matter with the President. The President had coolly tapped cigar ash into an ashtray and replied that all they had to do was set the brothers at odds with each other and have one of them destroy the other. With any luck, they would both be destroyed. Gast knew that with the tension between Hojo and Vincent when they first met, it would only take the right bit of information to make a war between them. His conscience gnawed at him, knowing that he would be responsible for their destruction. But it was either them or him.

That was why Dr. Gast added a little side note in the consolation letter to Hojo, saying that Vincent had been acting strange, as if he were going to take little Sephiroth away from Shinra, because he was Lucrecia's child. And if Vincent took Sephiroth away, the authorities would try to retrieve him, and who knows what would happen to a tiny infant in crossfire, especially with Vincent's increasingly unstable manner? There was a chance that Hojo might not believe the contents of the letter concerning Vincent, since he was not exactly on trusting terms with Gast right now. But if Vincent went directly to Hojo in an irrational manner, perhaps Hojo would reconsider and retaliate.

This is why Dr. Gast said the following things to Vincent, knowing they would set him off, "Lucrecia has unfortunately taken her own life."

Vincent froze in disbelief. His Turk training had forced him to conceal tender emotions in public, but his eyes betrayed a few welling tears.

"She…She wouldn't!" he sputtered.

"I'm afraid she did, Vincent. I am sorry to tell you this; I know how much she meant to you. But what can one expect from such an unfortunate woman, suffering the depression combined with separation from her child?" The words were cruel; Gast had rehearsed it many times to make sure what he said made the right effect.

"Separation? Why?"

"Sephiroth is a ward of the state now; didn't you know that?"

Vincent didn't reply for shock. Gast continued, "He is here right now; Dr. Hojo remains in Nibelheim, working on the new serum."

"New…serum…?"

"The new serum that Sephiroth is to be injected with."

"But…I thought you already injected him with a serum, when he was still unborn."

"Yes, we did, but Hojo believes that it is insufficient and he is continuing researching on a new injection."

Vincent once again didn't answer, but Gast could tell that his silence now was provoked by anger. It was going exactly how Gast planned it.

"Excuse me, Dr. Gast," Vincent walked towards the elevator.

"No problem, Mr. Valentine."

_Later, on the boat to the other continent…_

Vincent's thoughts were a torrent as he stood on the deck, staring out at the sea. He had accumulated enough vacation time (yes, even Turks had vacations) to find an excuse to get away. He could barely believe what he had heard from Gast. But it had to be true. Gast was not the most scrupulous of people but he would not lie about _that_, would he? And Vincent could barely believe that Hojo would not only ignore Lucrecia's death, but invent a new serum to bastardize his own son with. Wasn't it enough that they had injected that alien poison into Lucrecia's pregnant womb? When would it end, their constant experimentation on the poor baby? Vincent had thought better of Hojo than this. He had even thought for a short amount of time that Hojo might come to deserve Lucrecia. But no, after this, Vincent was determined that Hojo would get what he deserved in some form or fashion. Vincent might be able to bring Hojo around to his senses, but not before Vincent gave him a beating or tongue-lashing or both. He would not kill him; he could not do such a thing to his own brother. But Hojo would definitely pay for his indifference and cruelty.

_A week later, in Nibelheim…_

Hojo sat in grave silence in a cushioned chair in the basement library of the Shinra Mansion, with a letter in one hand and a half-empty glass of brandy in the other. His glasses were misty from the hot tears that had poured down his face for the past ten minutes. But he was too drained to weep anymore. He felt like he wouldn't find the strength to do anything ever again. There was revolver lying on the desk across from him, beckoning Hojo to make an end of this and go to eternal peace. Hojo sneered; there would be no peace for the likes of him in eternity. He would go to Hell and rightly so. Still, at least he would not hurt anything anymore. It was his fault that Lucrecia was dead, and it was his fault that he and his son were property of Shinra. Everything was his fault. He took another painful sip of brandy, though it had done nothing to help so far. He wished for drunkenness, but he supposed that either the Jenova cells or his grief made his head stronger. Curse it all.

"Hojo?"

Hojo's brow furrowed when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. It sounded like Vincent.

"Hojo, I know you're down there!"

The letter crumpled in Hojo's angry hand. Was it not enough that Vincent was thinking about putting Sephiroth's life in danger by defying Shinra, according to the letter, but he also had to come and torment him? Did that Turk have no shame? Hojo wished everyone would leave him to grieve in peace. He slammed his glass on the table. He had underestimated his own strength; the glass shattered and gave him a pretty nasty cut on his left hand. He sucked breath through his teeth but clenched his fist and ignored the pain for the time being. He had a familial nuisance to deal with.

**Get the gun.**

Without considering what he had just thought, Hojo obeyed. "Yes, I'm down here," he growled as he approached the library's main area, "what do you want?"

Vincent stormed into the library. Hojo concealed the weapon in his lab coat. At the moment he had no intention of really shooting Vincent. He still had a small amount of rationality left; he decided he would give Vincent a chance to explain himself. Besides, Vincent was his brother; half-brother, yes, but still his brother.

"How could you do that to Lucrecia?" Vincent cried, "You took her child away from her and now she's dead! And you stay here and continue working as if nothing happened!"

The words hurt Hojo more than he thought they would. He gritted his teeth, but did not answer. Vincent took his silence as an opportunity to continue fussing.

"Do you think I'll stand idly by and let those scientists in Shinra treat my nephew like a lab rat?"

Hojo's eyes widened. It was true! He was planning to take Sephiroth away.

**You can't let that happen. They'll kill Sephiroth trying to kill Vincent. You know it.**

"And you're worse than they are! I ought to skin you alive!"

**Kill him.**

"_What?"_

**Kill him now, before he ruins everything. Before he harms you. Before he harms Sephiroth. You have to do it; it's you or him. You or him. Kill him.**

"_I can't kill him! He's my brother!"_

The buzzing noise, which had been absent for several months, began again in Hojo's brain, this time louder than before. He clutched his hair, not hearing Vincent's continuous ranting. He only heard the droning sound and the insistent voice.

**Kill him! Kill him now!**

"_Why?"_

**He'll take Sephiroth! He'll hurt Sephiroth!**

"_No, I can reason with him!"_

**Look at him! Look at him screaming! Can you reason with such a man?**

An image of a bloodied and bullet ridden infant boy flashed across Hojo's mind. He looked at Vincent and no longer saw a human being standing there. He saw a monster, with fangs and claws chomping and scrapping. Hojo's rage mounted and his hand drifted towards the concealed weapon in his lab coat. The image of Sephiroth's ravaged body once again floated in his mind, ravaged in the arms of Vincent. Vincent was the enemy, Hojo now realized. He didn't care about Hojo; he really didn't care about Sephiroth. All he really cared about was the disappointment of not getting Lucrecia underneath him when he wanted her. He was willing to risk Sephiroth's life for a chance to spite Hojo. _That_ was what this was all about. Any fraternal pity towards Vincent fled from Hojo's mind as he decided that Vincent was no longer his half-brother, but a thorn in his side that needed to be plucked out. It was what the voice wanted. Something in him knew it would stop the noises if he did what it asked.

**Kill him! For Sephiroth! For **_**Sephiroth**_

Baring his teeth, he gripped the revolver's handle and pulled it out. There was a brief moment of terror in Vincent's face before the room was filled with the deafening sound of a bullet being fired. Only a moment later Vincent fell to the floor in a heap unconscious from the shock of the bullet wound to his chest. All was silent.

The revolver slipped from Hojo's hand and made a loud sound as it hit the floor. The voice's presence and the terrible buzzing left his mind and he finally realized his deed. His own flesh and blood had fallen by his hand.

"Vincent?" he weakly asked, "Vincent?"

There was no reply. A small stream of blood began to trickle along the crevice in the floor from underneath Vincent's chest. Hojo nearly tripped over himself when he rushed to Vincent's body. He turned him over.

"Vincent!"

There was a small flow of blood trickling from the corner of Vincent's mouth. Hojo put his fingers to Vincent's neck. His pulse was feeble, but still there. Hojo grabbed Vincent's shoulders and pulled him up. There was a lab bed in the basement. He had to get him on the bed. Hojo's adrenaline rush enabled him to find the strength to lift Vincent up onto the bed. The bullet wound wasn't bleeding profusely but it was ebbing out at a steady pace. Hojo put a hand to the injury to try to stanch the bleeding. It then he realized that his hand was no longer throbbing in pain. He looked at his left hand. There was no cut. Still pressing his right hand against Vincent's chest, he stared at his hand. It was completely healed. Some of his own blood stuck to the palm of his hand, but there was no gash.

"_How could it be…?_" Then he had a blessed revelation, "_The Jenova cells. In my blood samples they regenerate very quickly; no doubt they'll heal any wound._" He said out loud, "Hang in there, Vincent."

He found a clean syringe, sterilized his arm, and plunged the needle in without giving it much thought. If he thought about it, he might hesitate and hesitation was not acceptable. He watched without flinching as the large syringe slowly filled with the thick red liquid. He knew that he and Vincent had the same rare blood type, B-Negative. If the cells in his bloodstream worked the same in Vincent, the bullet wound would closely quickly and push the bullet out. He marched over to Vincent's bedside, found a suitable artery in his arm, and injected the blood into Vincent.

After every drop was squeezed out, Hojo placed the syringe on a nearby table and waited. All he could do now was wait and watch the wound. The wound had the same temperament as a boiling pot of water; it took longer if one was watching. But Hojo patiently waited. It had to work; it _had_ to. He probably only waited a span of a full minute, though it seemed longer. He heard a strange, squelching sound as the wound began to close. He was struck dumb by the sight of the bullet emerging slowly from the hole in Vincent's chest. When it was all the way out, Hojo took hold of it and threw it away. The wound closed completely.

"Vincent?" He should be all right now. "Vincent?" Hojo spoke again, "Are you all right?"

Vincent lay motionless for a few moments more. Hojo prayed that he had not been too late to save him. But Vincent stirred, moaning a little. Hojo sighed with relief; Vincent was coming around. But no sooner had Vincent stirred that he uttered a louder moan. Hojo furrowed his brow; that didn't sound like a moan at all, but almost like an animal-like growl. It was deep in Vincent's throat and rumbling. His body twisted a little, as if an outside force were turning him about. Hojo put his hand on Vincent's forehead, thinking that perhaps his brother had gotten a little fever and was only suffering from that.

There was a glass of water on the tray on the desk in the back part of the library, right beside the brandy. If he could get some fluids into Vincent's system, he might feel better. And perhaps the image of Hojo nursing him back to health might make him a little more kindly disposed towards him. Hojo turned his back to Vincent for a moment to fetch the water. Things would be better between him and Vincent from now on. It had taken a moment of foolishness to make Hojo realize how much Vincent should mean to him. They were really all had they both had left. Understandably, Vincent would be a little sore about Hojo shooting him. But Hojo would try to make him understand about the voices. Maybe Vincent would have pity on him.

But no sooner had Hojo filled a clean glass with water did he hear Vincent's growling grow louder, more disturbing. He turned around, holding the glass of water. He asked, "Vincent?"

Vincent had roused from his prostrate form and stood up. He stretched his arms upward, as if in great pain. He opened his mouth and let out a deafening howl that caused the glass of water to fall from Hojo's weakened grip. Still screeching like a banshee, Vincent glared at Hojo. His eyes were no longer dark brown; they were now blood-red and glowing like embers. His teeth were becoming sharper. The hair on his skin started to rapidly grow.

He shrieked; his voice was abnormally guttural, "_What did you do to me_?"

Hojo's reply was scarcely audible, "I…I don't know."

Vincent charged at Hojo, his speed unnatural for a human being, "_What did you do_?"

Hojo barely dodged Vincent when the latter lunged at him like a pouncing tiger. He hurtled into a chair, breaking the chair and giving Hojo a good, clean gash on the shoulder. Vincent crashed into the back bookcase, sending books falling to the floor. Hojo scrambled to his feet and dashed down the walkway towards the exit. On the table near the door there was a key; Hojo knew that it was the key to the crypt in the corridor. The door to that room locked and unlocked from both sides of the door. He hastily grabbed the key and ran out of the door. He could hear Vincent (or whatever he had become) regaining his footing and charging after him like a beast of prey. Hojo was certain that if Vincent caught him he would destroy him within moments.

He reached the door to the crypt and closed it but not before he caught sight of what was pursuing him. Nothing about it resembled his half brother. It was enormous, with purple fur and leathery wings like a bat's. It had six inch fangs dripping with saliva. Hojo did not hesitate a moment before putting the key to the closed door and locking it. The only light he had in the room leaked in from underneath the door. He did not know what good locking the door would do against this massive creature. If it really wanted to, it could rip the door to shreds. It pounded violently against the door. The door was a lot thicker than Hojo thought, but perhaps because the beast was berserk it was not attacking the door properly. He could hear its gigantic claws scratching away at the wood and scrapping the metal bindings. Hojo stepped back, nearly tripping over himself. He waited; waited for the beast to break through the door.

But only moments after the creature began to pound against the door, the sounds waned as if the hulk were tiring. Hojo did not move or speak, even when the noise came down to a complete silence. He waited for several minutes, not bothering to wipe the thick beads of sweat from his brow. He spoke softly, "Vincent?"

There was no answer. Hojo knew he could not stay in this room forever, especially without a light. He crept to the door and listened. He could barely hear Vincent breathing. But it was no longer an animalistic pant. It was a human being gasping for air to sooth a heavily beating heart. Hojo put the key to the door and unlocked it. He opened the door barely a crack and peeked out to find Vincent on the floor. His clothes were completely torn off save for a few rags around his wrists and ankles. He now looked as if he were sleeping. Hojo opened the door all the way.

"Vincent, what happened?"

Vincent did not respond; he was now unconscious. Hojo put a hand underneath Vincent's head to cushion it from the dirt floor. Hojo now realized what he had done to his own brother. In trying to help him, he created for Vincent a fate worse than death. Shinra had wanted a human weapon of warfare through experimenting with Jenova cells. Now they had one, but not in Sephiroth. Hojo shook his head at the thought; he could not let the President know what had happened to Vincent. If anyone asked, Vincent died in a fight with Hojo. Even if Hojo had to go to jail for killing Vincent, at least Vincent would be safe from that barbarian's schemes. The President would no doubt attempt to harness Vincent's abilities to pull out annoying thorns in his side. And what if the public got hold of the knowledge; Vincent would be treated no better than any beast.

But what to do with Vincent? Suppose the next time he woke up the result was the same, and he murdered someone? Hojo could not kill him, and yet he could not let him roam free as well. Hojo then remembered the new piece of equipment that Gast had shown him only a little while before; the "coffin" that would keep its inhabitant in suspended animation for as long as needed. It had been intended for Sephiroth, but it would be several years before they would even think of putting Sephiroth into it. No one would be the wiser if Vincent occupied it for the time being.

Hojo shook his head and tears rolled down his face. All he could do for his brother now was put him in a state where he would not hurt anyone, including himself. He went to the coffin in the crypt and removed the lid. He then scooped an arm underneath Vincent's legs and another underneath his back. He sobbed as he lifted his brother off of the ground, "I'm sorry, Vincent; I'm so sorry…But you'll be all right. No one will touch you here. No one will try to use you here. You won't know anything. You'll be better off than I am…" He gently lowered Vincent into the soft cushioned lining of the coffin. After considering his brother's resting face one last time in the dim light from the corridor, Hojo took hold of the lid and placed it on the coffin, sealing it.

Hojo's feet felt like lead as he slowly exited the crypt, shutting the door behind him and locking it. He had nothing now, nothing. His wife was dead, his son was no longer his own, and his brother would be forever fastened in a sleeping state. Hojo had never felt more miserable than he did now, and it was his own fault. He sardonically chuckled as he looked at the gash in his shoulder healing rapidly. With the rate of healing the Jenova cells gave him, he couldn't even kill himself! He couldn't find Lucrecia's release and join her.

When he went back into the library he found that all of the brandy and water had been knocked over and spilled in the chaos. He couldn't even drown his sorrows for the time being; that had been the last snifter of brandy. He wondered if a tranquilizer would do him any good. While he searched for one, he tried to take everything in around him in an effort to push thoughts of his life out of his mind until he could get the soothing drug in him. Anything to forget…Anything to forget…

Lucrecia…Sephiroth…Vincent…

Anything to forget the faces of those responsible for this besides himself; the narrowed eyes of Dr. Hemin, the mustached smirk of Dr. Gast, the morbidly obese jowls of President Shinra, and the alien face of the creature named Jenova.

But he could not forgive, and so he could never forget. He never would.


End file.
